Despite their variable condition, the streets of Manhattan almost seem designed for skating. There certainly seem to be a lot of people in this town who use their Rollerblades, Salomons, and K2s for basic transportation. You may raise a sweat and suffer bus exhaust, but it saves you the $1.50 for a subway or bus token.

Just remember that while Manhattan drivers are surprisingly apt to honor amber street lights -- probably in fear of killing jaywalking pedestrians -- they're downright terrible at signalling lane changes or even turns. In other boroughs, drivers will be less likely to slow for amber lights, or even red lights.

And while I have enormous respect for the ability of cab drivers to avoid hitting cyclists, skaters and other cars, the movement of taxis is (perhaps as a consequence) notoriously unpredictable. And then there are the take-out food delivery guys, who all too often ride their lightless and apparently brakeless bicycles the wrong way down one-way streets.

The moral of the story is... well actually, there are several of them:

• Wearing a helmet and other skate armor is more than just a good idea. (Also, state law requires skaters under age 14 to wear helmets.)
• Pay attention to what you're doing and what others around you are doing.
• New York state law gives you the right to skate on the streets, but you also have responsibilities, too. Skate with traffic rather than against it, honor traffic signals, etc. Basically, behave like cyclists are supposed to.
• Don't do anything to reduce your ability to observe your surroundings. In particular, skating with a Walkman plugged into both ears is not exactly smart.
• Help others help you. Hand signals, just like bicyclists use, alert others to your intentions and give them time to react appropriately. You'd be amazed at how much less you'll get honked at if you do simple things like signal a lane change.
• Know the territory. Yes, Times Square is a tough place to skate, but even a quiet residential street has its dangers. Keep in mind what they are and be prepared.
• Wear reflective clothing when skating after dark. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.

Take note that seven skaters are known to have died skating in the city since this skating guide first went on-line (i.e., during 1995-1999). Three were victims of falls in Central Park, all apparently dieing of head injuries. Of the other four, a skater was struck by a bus near Broadway and 83rd St. in Manhattan during summer 1995; a 14-year-old was the victim of a hit-and-run beer truck in northeast Brooklyn in August 1996; a Bronx teen-ager was killed trying to skitch a Metro bus in December 1996; and an adult skater was run over by a bus near the Empire State Building in July 1998. Evidence suggests that three of these skaters would still be alive if they had been wearing helmets, and at least two would still be alive if they had been paying a little more attention to what they were doing and where they were doing it.