Just because there's smoke

As per a story on the BBC’s website, London police closed off roads and began evacuation procedures earlier this week in a Sojo neighborhood after receiving reports of an irritating smoke permeating the air. People feared the worst: a biological attack on London. Officials pinpointed the source and broke down the door to a Thai restaurant probably fully expecting to discover the worst.

Was it a band of terrorists cooking up a batch of ricin or mustard gas? Nah. Just a Thai chef dry burning a big pot of chillies for a hot Thai dip that requires burnt chillies as a key ingredient. Guess everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief even before the air cleared.

Is this what we’ve come to? Fear to the point of police kicking down doors if you happen to burn the microwave popcorn so badly the smoke travels out your kitchen windows and chokes a few passersby?