AC,

I agree with most of what your saying, with one small exception.

We have had compulsory bicycle helmet laws in Australia for more than 20 years and the result has been fewer people using bicycles. People will simply jump in their cars even for short trips up to the shops rather than hunt around for a helmet to bolt onto their nice new hairdo.

Research has also shown that car drivers will unconsciously drive closer to someone with a helmet than someone without and that when accidents do occur, the helmet is of negligible help in safe guarding against brain damage.

All that aside I have found the nonchalant way pedestrians here will step in front of traffic and waltz down bicycle lane 3 and 4 abreast as the worst hazard on the road.

atomic,
the reason that pedestrians are in the bicycle lane is because the sidewalk is full of cars and e-bikes!

I can see tomorrow's headline now, "City officials to now require licenses to walk on public streets"

atomic,

I wasn't implying that there should be helmet laws. We have them in Canada too, and I don't like it because sometimes I just don't feel like wearing a helmet (maybe it's too hot, or I just don't want to have matted hair).

I was just trying to convey that I am somewhat careful when I ride. I can't confirm or deny studies I haven't seen concerning helmet use, but my father is a physician and an avid cyclist, so I've had it hammered into my psyche to wear one.
As far as I'm concerned if somebody wants to engage in risk that's their business, as long as it doesn't also endanger the lives of others. I'd just like people to pay a little more attention to where they're going.

I understand there is a need, at times, to walk along the road and that the footpaths are often illegally congested, this is something that certainly should be addressed.

However isn't it in the best interest of pedestrians to avoid injury, both to themselves and commuters, by simply taking a few common sense precautions, such as looking before stepping in front of a vehicle, keeping as close to the footpath as is practical, using the foot path when it is available, not strolling 3 abreast down the bicycle lane, chatting with your friends about the latest school gossip, etc.

Mind you I have heard of scams whereby people will put themselves at risk in order to extort money from unsuspecting motorists.

I saw a news article on TV. Not sure if I got it correct, but it looks like Kunming police are having another crackdown on ebikes. It looks like one thing they check, on a stop and check, is the fapio. It may be an idea to carry the fapio when riding.

If things follow the Shanghai lead then the next step is to confiscate non registered ebikes.

If the police decided to follow the rules for other motor vehicles - if you cannot provide the documents required the police can impound the vehicle until the documents are produced.

Just carry your fapio. I scanned mine to my phone and have been checked a few times only in the past 10 years. It's no big deal.

Not always possible to have a fapio. I bought my ebike about 4 years back from an Australian family which were heading home at the end of a 2 year stay. I think they had probably acquired it in much the same way, so any fapio is long gone.