in the summer of 1992 i bart it to emb from pathetica. everyday my friends and i would meet up at the park and ride bus stop in pacifica. one day i skate down there and notice that no one is there. pacifica had very little to skate, thats why we would skate this shitty, slanted, waxed curb at the bus stop. i tried to skate by myself for a little and was turned off quickly. the fun of skating with others ignites you to try anything, and by yourself is like taking yourself out to dinner. i saw the bus that would take me to the daily city bart and so i dove into my pockets.”yes!!!”, i had just enough change to take the bus to bart. i got on the bus. i was happy that by the time that i would get to the spots in sf i would not be skateboarding by myself for the rest of the day. i get off the bus and walk to the ticket machine. i reach in my pockets only to notice that i do not have bart fair. i didnt even have bus money to get back to pacifica. i walk to the front and start asking for spare change. i make more than enough to bus it back quickly, i also had enough to bart it to emb(surprisingly). i still wanted to go skate sf so i bought the ticket, and hopped on the train. the word i would dream about every night came over the loudspeaker “THE NEXT STOP EMBARCADERO!”. i get off the train, and as every time taking the escalator to the top was awesome. the giant buildings of sf as you reach the top, the people everywhere, and the car horns honking. the buildings were there but this was about 10-10:30 on a weekday so much less people and honking cars. i start skating down market to the center, the sound of the brick under my wheels was soothing, and the street was lined with square, waxed benches. i skate the block to emb and notice that a few of the locals are sitting on the pyramid in the center, a few under the overhang by the gonz, a few by the ledge with the gap in the end that lined the fountain, and a little group around the metal tables. those locals seamed to be there any time of the day, going to emb was like skating in a non-violent prison yard. i skate through the center to the back side, where the fast food spot was. i was starving but knew that i only had enough to get back to pacifica, but thought to myself that maybe if i use the money i spanged and get one of the breakfasts they had a deal on, that i could just bum some more. i get to the front of the glass door and stop, i was trying to decide, spend the money, eat the food, skate the rest of sf on a full stomach, or be hungry?, then i said fuck it and started to skate away. as i was skating away i looked over and noticed a kid with a skateboard, sitting in the window and eating. i hopped off my board, and started looking him up and down. as a kid it was easy to tell when somebody was a poser, just by their clothing, or set up they were riding. this kid had a huge afro, was about my age, and i remember him because around that time we all had huge stupid clothes, and small wheels, but not him, or the kids that he hung out with. he then finishes his food, and as i’m skating away he stops me and says ”hey!,you hungry?”, i say “yes, but no money, i’m good”. he says ”come back here” so i skate back. he says ”i noticed that you were watching me eat, let me buy you some food”i say okay and walk back inside with him to the fast food spot. i point out the breakfast, and he buys it, then he says ”i’m going around the corner to skate emb, if you come i’ll see you there, if not i’m sure i’ll see you again” i said thank you and that was the last time that i saw lee smith. thank you lee!!!