Why the pax were waiting
Long ago in Australia, a Friendship took off. A little old lady saw a wheel fall off, and alerted an FA. "No, dear, it's alright. They're meant to do that," she was told, on the assumption that she was confused about u/c retraction. It was only when a girl of 12, a few rows further forward, shouted that a wheel did fall off, that they took it seriously. Think it was an Ansett flight in Tasmania, 1970s, but could be wrong.