I do think there's a huge social-class component to all of this. The scruffy biker could indeed be a guy who lost his license and is on his way to a job interview at the local homeless outreach. The guy (or gal) wearing all the "team kit" on a spiffy bike implies a much higher rung on our class ladder - a house oops I mean a "home", with a Volvo or SUV parked in the driveway, perhaps the rider is a doctor or a lawyer, etc. So they get treated better, except perhaps by the guy who is driving a beater car/truck, and who just lost his job due to some %$ "yuppie" lawyer! Class conflict on the roadways!

Here in Si valley we have everything, from recent immigrants on bikes because they have nothing else, other poor folks getting around on bikes for the same reason, folks out up to no good skanking around on bikes at night, good qulet way to cover a lot of miles and "case" places, to the racer boys/girls, the affluent (and no so affluent) tourers, etc. there are all social classes out on bikes. I'd say out here one is probably better off looking at least respectable, in some other areas wearing "team kit" may get you more hassles.

When driving I try to be nice to all cyclists, other drivers too, it's bad enough out there with all the "aggro" going around.