Buying purses in NY...A story of fear and trust or a cautionary tale.

In September of 2002 my daughter M and I were in New York City. This was our first adventure (only, thus far) in the Big Apple and I was determined to go shopping on Canal Street. 
M is usually very outgoing, funny, smart-mouth, and loud. For some reason the throngs of people left her clingy and unsure. Imagine that.
We get off the tour bus and are immediately accosted by people but have no idea what they are saying until we are about a block away. Enter the guy selling watches...aka watch seller stalker...being from OK I didn't want to be rude and tell him to back off so I said something like, "Well, maybe in a little bit" he followed us around calling us "baby" which freaked M out completely.
After we made our get away, we finally figured out what the people were saying to us when we got off the bus, "You wanna buy purse?" and yes, we did in fact wanna buy purse.
We approached a sweet looking girl and asked her about purses. Here is where the fun begins.
This man said "you, follow me" we start walking...away from the busy street...into an alley..up to a van...in New York.
M is putting on the brakes.
I look under the van, in the front seat, around the van and decide to get in...
M is still putting on the brakes. "No, Mom. I'm not getting in the van."
The man turns to us and says "Its okay, I Chinese. I no hurt you, I Chinese."
Oh, well, then everything is okay, right?
My desire for a really great knock off out weighed my daughters good sense and we got in. The entire time she is texting me..."Let's get out!" I buy a GORG white purse and she get's a small swingpack purse and we escape get out with our lives.
As we walk away, I say to her, "Never do that. It isnt't like a killer will say, 'Its okay. I a killer. I no hurt you'".
See, I'm a good parent. Moral of the story and a new purse.
.

Apparently there are shoes somewhere too...