A definitive guide to walking (and not getting punched) in New York

The unspoken rules of rush hour are vast. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, one of Bloomberg Opinion’s friendliest regional neighbors. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - [NYC pedestrians]( are safer than ever. - [Chinese tourists]( learn to be clever. - [Immigrants]( are an economic lever. - [Europe’s cold]( seems to last forever. [Face Punch]( When you are a pedestrian in New York City — and there are millions of us — there are a few unspoken rules you ought to follow: If you’re in a large group, stack yourselves. If you’re waiting for a light to change, and you value your limbs, stand on the sidewalk. If you’re going up the subway stairs, stay in your lane. If you’re heading home at night, use transparency mode on your headphones. If you’re walking at a brisk pace next to a stranger, know that you are in fact engaged in [a race](. If there’s an ambulance with its doors open, do not to look too close. And if you need to use your phone for a moment — to get directions, to respond to a text, to finish Wordle — stop and get out of the way. Of course, these are rules you ought to follow. No one, not even veteran city walkers who stroll through [open gangways](, adheres to them religiously. Yes, it is frustrating to get stuck behind a blissfully unaware pedestrian with their eyes glued to their screen, yet it happens. Most New Yorkers just learn to live with it. But no matter how egregious their street etiquette may be, pedestrians do not deserve to be [randomly punched]( in the face for it. I can’t believe I even need to type that sentence, but after watching [one](, [two](, [three](, [four](, [five]( TikTok videos from young women [claiming]( they were assaulted by [a man]( in broad daylight this month — it needs to be said. But before you go express-shipping your NYC-based granddaughter a lifetime supply of pepper spray, let’s take a step back and consider the data. Justin Fox [says]( these are actually exceptionally safe times, [historically speaking](, to be walking in New York City: Getting a [hematoma]( after a random dude clocks you on the sidewalk for checking your Gmail is certainly a scary prospect, but it’s an unlikely one. Sure, there’s no sucker punch data for Manhattan — a gross oversight of the city, if you ask me — but it’s a safe guess that drivers of cars and trucks pose a far greater risk to pedestrian well-being. Some may throw helmetless CitiBikers into that mix, but Justin notes that “even reckless e-bike riders are a minor danger in comparison.” In fact, he says, those “daredevils/numbskulls are forcing drivers of cars and trucks to slow down and be more careful, making it safer for everyone else.” Read [the whole thing]( (but not while you’re walking, please). Flight Patterns Why, oh, why is Singapore Airlines mysteriously halting its service to Chongqing and Chengdu — China’s fourth and sixth largest metropolises — less than five months after beginning it? I’m all for a good mystery, but when it involves planes, speculation can quickly veer into conspiracy-theory territory. Which is why I suggest you read this entire Tim Culpan [column](. “The cancellations and the lack of clarity for why don’t augur well for close links between China and one of its friendliest regional neighbors,” he warns. Regardless of whether relations between Beijing and Singapore are souring, tourism within China is alive and well, [according to]( Shuli Ren: “Powered by social media, young people in China are traveling to the far corners of the country, places that those a decade or two older had missed.” The newest hot spot is [Tianshui](, a small city in northwest China of 3 million dating to the 3rd-century (that’s BCE) Qin Dynasty that specializes in [malatang](, a style of cooking that boils skewers in a spicy broth. Oh, the places you’ll go (for food) Photographer: Xinhua News Agency/Xinhua News Agency At this point, these meat skewers have been seen by billions of young Chinese drooling on their smartphones, many of whom end up making the trek to Gansu province to taste it for themselves. “This kind of viral attention is a godsend for a city that suffers from fiscal difficulties and decades-long emigration,” Shuli explains. “To keep the precious youngsters coming, officials have enthusiastically embraced the so-called ‘nanny-style tourism,’ welcoming visitors at the local airport and railway station with free shuttle buses to malatang joints.” Telltale Charts In 2019, Claudia Sahm’s recession rule was officially added to the data compiled and [published]( by the Federal Reserve. The premise for “The Sahm Rule” was — and still is — simple: If the three-month average of the unemployment rate is half a percentage point or more above its low of the prior 12 months, the economy is in a recession. Now Claudia [is warning](that some people are using it all wrong: “Applying the logic of the rule to [individual states]( would reveal that [20 of themÂ](should be in a recession,” she writes, but that’s only because “the three with highest [immigrant share](in their state population — California (27%), New Jersey (24%), and New York (27%) — have some of the largest increases in unemployment.” Since immigrants need more time to find work, she says that uptick in unemployment is actually a sign of economic strength. Germany is often called the “[sick man](” of Europe. While that may be true, Lionel Laurent [says]( there’s plenty of other countries that should be WebMD-ing their symptoms, too. Trade in the Netherlands and Ireland — which used to be a major economic driver — is stalling. “France, whose demand-led economy usually zigs when Germany zags, is eking out meager growth,” he writes. And Italy’s Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti recently confessed that his country had a “stomach ache.” At this point, Germany’s well-used tissues are the least of Europe’s worries. Three Free Reads: The [Baltimore bridge tragedy]( is a sad reminder that infrastructure matters. — John Authers Everyone but [Justice Samuel Alito]( scoffed at the flimsy abortion pill argument. — Noah Feldman Which city is more affordable, [New York or London](? — Howard Chua-Eoan Further Reading Germany's choice to [withhold weapons]( from Ukraine leaves Europe in the lurch. — Bloomberg’s editorial board Chinese cyberattacks [complicate]( Beijing’s economic relationship with the UK. — Matthew Brooker The [Visa-Mastercard deal]( isn’t about to end the swipe fee battle. — Paul J. Davies Biden’s clean-industry grants stand [to pay off]( in a big way. — Liam Denning It will take [more than patriotism]( to save Malaysia’s currency. — Daniel Moss ICYMI Disney [ended its fight]( with DeSantis. Can Trump really use his [$7.2 billion fortune](? Expect to see more [species turnover]( in major cities. Kickers The [“Dirty” Negroni]( was bound to happen. [Literally Anybody Else]( is running for president. Wearable [tech etiquette]( is a thing now. [Toxic toads]( in Florida can kill pets in minutes. Notes: Please send your best [shark pitches]( and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads](, [TikTok](, [Twitter](, [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. 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