There are lavatories and gallies at rows 0, 14, 39, and behind 48.
I'd be interested to know why only three of 300+ passengers have reported or verified this bizarre incident.
I don't particularly care about the stewardess reactions (except their apparant failure to actually talk to these guys), since they are notorious for overreacting to the slighest passenger problem (let's not argue this, check any FR thread on the topic).
Note also that it was the stewardesses who inflamed the paranoia by whispering their concerns to the already-rattled Jacobsen.
That this went on for three to four hours - with zero interaction between these fellows, and the other passengers (300+ people) or stewardesses is not plausible.
In this case there may perhaps be a fear of being put on some sort of "special extra security check" list as a factor. Why? Because people are extra superstitutious about things related to flying. They make an extra effort to avoid "jinxing".
I'm with you. More to the story bump.
I read some comments from pilots saying that stewardesses would not disclose that sort of confidential information to passengers. I don't know what to believe as far as they are concerned.
Like others, I am curious to know why other passengers didn't tell the people to sit down and shut up, if it was that bad, or why the captain himself didn't. I find it a little hard to believe that no one would simply tell them to return to their seats.
It's very possible that our enemies will (are) exploit our weaknesses, including using people who are American citizens who appear 'harmless' to test methods and theories.