I'm not saying the average commuter would benefit from these tires, most people wont. I'm just of the opinion that there are people in situations that would feel these tires are perfect.

They're bad tires, and perform poorly, that's a given. But, there's times when a flat is a major safety risk, or if time=money (messengers, delivery bikes, if being late costs a days pay,) then I could see these being fairly useful.

There's also people who own a bike as a tool, who can't be bothered changing a tire, don't push their handling performance to the edge, and don't care if a ride is a little bumpy. They want to get here to there without worrying about the next nail or rock that might come along.

I'm tempted to get these for my wife, as she hates changing tires, has a short commute, and just wants to get there without major problems. She uses a cheap Target bike, which weighs a ton, carries two locks, clothes, tools, etc... IMO she'd be a perfect candidate for them, if they cost a bit less.

If she was doing 20+ miles a day, that'd be another story entirely.