The bigger picture surrounding the "e-bike - danger to humanity story" is the consistently decreasing attention to personal responsibility and the daily risks resulting from technological advances.

Does it matter whether its a skateboard, a hoverboard, inline skates, or etc...... What we are beginning to experience is the erosion of the freedom of the "public space" due to the expansion and extension of "personal space" resulting from new technologies.

Clearly - an individual riding a fifty-plus pound vehicle at 20mph requires far more "public space" than a pedestrian. When you extrapolate the insertion of millions more of these devices into a infrastructure that was usually built for pedestrian speeds - its not hard to see that pushing and shoving - and eventual cursing will begin.

Americans love their freedom - responsibility not so much.