The Story of the Purse Snatching (slightly edited from myspace blog, thank you) The excellent parking spot right across the street should have raised suspicion but I was too hungry to question anything other than the daily specials. I hadn't been to the Argentine Grill before but I always see Melrosers crowding up the joint and that has to be an indication of something. Something.. like... maybe.. a BIGF@#$%G streetscam. We were seated for about two minutes when my chivalrous male companion, Mr American Hero, ran to the car to get a jacket for me. He skated back on his skateboard and I thought, "what a silly billy - skating across the street like that." Not one minute after he sat back down some mutherf#$##%$#longteeshirtwearinga^&licker on a bmx bike yanks my purse from me and takes off like mad. Mr AH jumps the railing from the platform and hops on his board. I'm sitting there like "uh.. hey wait - that dude just took my purse." I look around and most people sitting outside definitely saw what happened. Right next to me is a table of FOUR DUDES.  Im looking at them while they sip their ice tea. One of them looks at me, trying to be helpful, he makes a gun with his hand and says, "that guy probably has a gun...your friend could get shot." I thought he was going to say something else after that but he just nods and makes the gun sign again. I was like, "ok.. I guess I will go chase after the deadly gun toting purse snatcher then." I slide under the railing and onto the sidewalk. The first thing I see is ONE of Mr AH's shoes on the sidewalk and then his skateboard rolling on the sidewalk up a little further. The image of the icetea dude making a gun with his hand pops into my brain. I pick up Mr AH's stuff and get to a corner where a confused English couple is looking around. It appears they saw everything and told me that  a guy with a "handbag" riding a bike just went thataway. Then then chick asks me in a super strong accent, "you seem a little shaken." Im thinking well I am holding my boyfriends shoe and the last time I saw him he was jumping over a rail to chase after a thug on a BMX who might even have a ya know (thats when I make a gun hand motion). So the couple asks if this type of stuff happens a lot because they have only been in the country for a day. I look at them and hold up Mr AH's skateboard and I'm like huh? Are you kidding me? Go back to England as fast as you can. They were nice enough to walk back to the shitty restaurant with me and wait until Mr. Ah finally showed up in his car. "Sorry I couldn't catch him," he says to me. And thats when I scream back "WHAT? You WUSS! Don't even bother coming back to my place!!"  Just kidding. I was happy that he didn't have his ear shot off. There goes my cell phone, sony cybershot, and limited edition red vinyl vinnies tampon case. If anyone sees a little notebook with a white fluffy dog on the cover and overseas phone numbers random scribblings about sitting next to a food critic/ mushroom specialist inside, please get in touch with me. I am piiii-iised about losing the purse too. It was metallic leather - bronze -baby - me and my Chi-town girl bought them about a month ago. When the cops asked me what kind of bag it was I sniffled... and said oh it wasn't anything real expensive but just a little brand i like to call BFF... sob sob. Sorry Cara.