Actually, what really happens is not that people report all sorts of instances in which suspect packages are mistakenly thought of as possible bombs. What really happens is that all packages that could be mistaken for bombs pretty much disappear so that it is more likely that packages that are reported are security threaths. I see that in Istanbul, and I am pretty certain that everybody who's ever been to Israel can tell you the same. Alertness in the general public does make it harder for terrorists to operate unnoticed.