I don't think cycling in Los Angeles is substantially different than riding in Seatte as far as road-rage incidences. I don't think I have any more negative run-ins than I did in Seattle either. As I've said before there are a certain percentage of the population that are a-holes and some of them drive and some of them ride. If you're in a city you'll run into more a-holes just because you run into more people in general, but I think the altercations are less intense because you're surrounded by witnesses. I think out in the sticks it can get worse because there's nobody watching.
And as far as better riding heading east, LOL! Tell me that when you're buried in snow this January and I'm still riding in a t-shirt through the canyons.
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Non semper erit aestas.