I know it's not exactly fashionable in these parts, but there are places along just about any route I take (except to work) where I feel like I've gotta ride on the sidewalk if I enjoy continuing to live without major injury.
There's a lot of people here who say "never use them," and I understand why, but to me it's another tool that I have to use every once in a while when conditions scream for it. There's about 2 bike lanes in the whole town of 50,000 people, and cars are not only way not used to driving with bikes on the road, they're particularly redneck in their "how dare they even be on the road slowing ME down!" militancy, so sometimes the best thing to do is hang out on the sidewalk.
For example, riding home from work on the road the other night, and a guy passes me horribly closely in the right lane even though he has a whole other lane on the four-lane road to get in to get around me, and it's open for MILES. He could've given me a LANE and couldn't give me three feet. Why? Just redneck crap. "This'll scare him, huh huh." I'm sure people have it just as bad everywhere.