Tourists routinely confuse those canal bike lanes for sidewalks and then complain about feeling unsafe around bikes in Amsterdam.

My first time in Amsterdam I was terribly confused by the bike lanes. We’d never seen an entirely separate and dedicated bike lane like that so we walked in it. It was a Sunday morning so fortunately there wasn’t much traffic but eventually an exasperated local on his bike stopped us and explained that we were basically waltzing around in the middle of the road and could we please stop. He was perfectly polite and his information was quite helpful but I got the sense he had given the same lecture many times before.

Unless someone explains it to you, though, I’m not really sure how anyone could be expected to know?

Something about all those bikes whizzing right by you while there is a perfectly empty sidewalk right next to you?

If the concept is completely unknown to you, then I can imagine just not realizing it.

My British girlfriend once unplugged my alarm clock because she thought there was no way to use the power plug above that otherwise, my alarm plug was "blocking" that one. I just reversed the socket and put it back in. She felt stupid, but since British plugs can be put in one way only I can understand simply not thinking of that.

Well there weren’t many bikes whizzing by and the sidewalks were quite “full” from cafe seating and postcard displays and the like. It wasn’t really a conscious “decision” to walk in the bike path it just sort of seemed natural?

Thanks for describing the exact areas where I've seen this problem. The canals being what they are, there probably isn't much that can be done.

i lived in Amsterdam for 3 days and noticed places where they are on the same level. Are you sure you were paying attention?

Exactly.

Being new to the place, we tend to notice things that other people already took for granted.

Isn't it likely your parent has seen a lot more than you? Were you along a canal? Or perhaps those places you noticed were exceptional in the extreme. Presumably you wouldn't really know after such a short stay.

Canals in Amsterdam aren't extreme or rare.