Originally Posted by AltheCyclist

I don't quite understand the anti-sidewalk mentality? Of course, you don't have to ride the sidewalk .. you could stay on sections of road where diamond lane ends and risk getting run over or impede traffic, making motorists angry and causing them to road-rage. Or, you could ride on sidewalk - it's basically a MUP with very little ped traffic (only with the occasional sign-dancer who's not watching where he's going, the original gripe).
This isn't Manhattan or other big city where the sidewalks are crowded with people. So, in summary, when confronted with bad road conditions, you can
Option 1: Continue on the road, impeding traffic, dodging snow drifts, and risk getting smacked by motorist.
Option 2: Jump on sidewalk, ride legally, with little ped traffic ride it like a MUP

What's the rationale for Option 1?