There isn't a bike lane for 50 miles in any direction from where I live. The only reason I haven't started commuting by bike is there's a busy main stretch of road I have to take with no shoulder whatsoever. With the way people drive here, I don't fear, but know it will end in my getting clipped. If they would put a paved shoulder on that single stretch of road, I'd start bike commuting tomorrow. However, it's not inside city limits, so that's not going to happen.
I'm all for the concept of VC, but I cannot expect the entire populace to suddenly change the way they drive... not when my life depends on it. Therefore I am at the mercy of cars, whether I like it or not.
There was actually a story in the paper last year about a local college student who was pulled over and arrested for impeding traffic... the officer didn't even know the laws for bicycle road usage. And the person who reported the kid was a city judge! Until we get support from municipalities, it's a losing battle here. This is the main reason I'm interested in bike advocacy now.