Originally Posted by makeinu
The thing about skates is that they mesh much better with public transit than bikes do.
Sure, there are folding bikes, but even the lightest smallest folding bike is much bigger and heavier than a pair of skates.
But you can't go into most places with skates on. With a bike, you hop off, lock it, and go to where you need to be. With skates, you've got to change shoes to go into wherever you are going.
I can't see really using skates as a means of transport for any significant distance or location.