Google App Engine python - Self is not defined

Question

I have a request that maps to this class ChatMsg It takes in 3 get variables, username, roomname, and msg. But it fails on this last line here.

class ChatMsg(webapp.RequestHandler): # this is line 239
    def get(self):
        username = urllib.unquote(self.request.get('username'))
        roomname = urllib.unquote(self.request.get('roomname')) # this is line 242

When it tries to assign roomname, it tells me:

<type 'exceptions.NameError'>: name 'self' is not defined
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/base/data/home/apps/chatboxes/1.341998073649951735/chatroom.py", line 239, in <module>
    class ChatMsg(webapp.RequestHandler):
  File "/base/data/home/apps/chatboxes/1.341998073649951735/chatroom.py", line 242, in ChatMsg
    roomname = urllib.unquote(self.request.get('roomname'))

what the hell is going on to make self not defined