And then some dude tried to mug me... again

Since moving to Los Angeles, years ago, I've been the mark for two attempted muggings. Both times on a beautiful warm sunny afternoon, both times on La Brea, ave. Hollywood.

The first time some guy tried to mug me, I lived behind Crazy Girls strip club. It happened less than a block away from my apartment. He was a skinny white guy. 20 something I suspected. No shirt. Long shorts. Fishing hat pulled down right. Black high top Sketchers. He came up behind me, tried to push me down, but only knocked me off balance. He snatched my hand bag as I was looking for keys, and ran off.

Naturally,

I chased after him.

And when I was directly behind him, I shoulder rammed him in the back, hard as I could. He stumbled forward  but quickly composed himself and kept running, my handbag cradled in his arm like a football.

I couldn't gain on him again close enough to touch him, but I continued to run after him. Never less than two steps behind him.

He lost wind just after La Brea and Santa Monica. Wimp. And threw my handbag over my head, in the direction from whence we came.

It was a hard decision, regaining my handbag, or continue chasing after this guy, but I turned, and ran back after my handbag.

The second time I was almost mugged happened last week.

He was a young kid. Maybe 20. Most likely still in his teens. Brown skin. Who knows from where?

He cased me for about a block. I knew he was following me but just to be sure I made a few fake stops pretending to look in my purse for something. The kid would stop walking every time I did, and just linger where he stood.

I wasn't about to bring trouble to my friend's work, so finally just turned around, looked at the kid, he looked back, and I yelled, "What fucker! What do you want!"

The kid startled and started to walk away. But I know "pretend" leaving, when I see it. So just to be sure I walked a few steps after him and yelled, "keep walking asshole! Keep the fuck walking!"

And that was it. I watched him all down the street until I couldn't see him anymore.

It's not hard to lift a purse. Even with a shoulder strap you can only hope they don't have a box cutter to cut the strap and run. Desperate people have no quarrel dicing through you to get what they want.

Even the non desperate people.