The players:
GROUP 1: a group of 4-5 female volunteers
GROUP 2: a second group of volunteers: 2 male, 2 female (narrator among them)
+ three Burkinabe men seated near the scene of the crime
+ four Burkinabe men chilling on motos across the street from group 3
The setting:
Downtown Ouagadougou on a Saturday night, approximately 9:30pm.
The volunteers leave the restaurant and decide, hey, it's not that far, let's walk and save ourselves the fare and the trouble of finding a cab!
"Perfect, I'm going to run into the atm on the way!"
Another girl says "good call, Ima come too."
The other 4-5 volunteers (group 1) decide to keep walking along, but Nai and David, gentlemen that they are, gallantly insist on accompanying the two damsels. #safetyfirst
Banking complete, group 2 is about 500 feet behind group 1, when all of a sudden, we see a figure sprinting away from group 1 - back towards group 2, then down a side street!!
"Did he just-?"
"I think he just stole someone's purse!"
And with that, David and Nai are off like a shot! And- damn, they're fast! They're gaining on him! They turned down the street so I can't see anymore but I think they might catch him! And WHOAAA even if they don't, those four guys on motos definitely will!!!
The remainder of group 2 keep walking and catch up to group 1. Before they can partake in comforting Zazie (purse owner), Nai and David come sauntering from the alley, purse in hand.
REJOICE!!!! AMERICA FOR THE WIN!!!!! Burkinabe may be able to lift motos on top of buses but it looks like Nai and David had more staying power on this fateful night!! So THERE!!
The end.
Talk about an adrenaline rush, even for this observer...
Things to note:
- Purse snatchings are pretty common in Ouaga. Poor Zazie had both hands on her bag AND it was strapped across her body, but he was determined. Even though she ended up with a sore neck, this scenario - with both victim and thief on foot - is actually the least dangerous...bc you're not safe even if you're on a bike! People on motos are happy to snatch as well, and in that case, you'll probably take a tumble. Not good.
- The snatching occurred right in front of three Burkinabe men, sitting on the sidewalk. It sucks that they did nothing to stop it or help, but just when you might lose faith in humanity, there's the four guys hanging out on their motos across the street who DID help. So that's nice.
