In a typical Chinese city, the scarce grass that exists is usually off limits from being stood upon/ laid upon/ otherwise touched (ostensibly out of concern for the grass). The feeling/appearance of grass beneath your feet is therefore an understandable novelty/rarity for many city dwellers who lack the means to make weekend getaways.

So we have case of “Whatever it takes to make commuting more pleasant”, right? Not quite.

Beyond satisfying aesthetic/romantic concerns, this may well have security applications also. Considering the vibrant market for secondhand and refurbished batteries, and that a fenced battery can net the thief a cool 100 kuai (~ US $16), one can notice how the patch of astroturf conceals (and also nominally protects from the elements) the improvised locking mechanism of a chain and length of metal that many electric scooter owners have installed on their ride’s battery housing.