I want to tell you all that I attended Traffic School this weekend (yes, I got a ticket, but on my scooter.)

You'll be interested to hear what the instructor taught the class in the bicycle section.

He said first of all to everyone, before he said anything else, that bicyclists have every right to the full use of the lane any time they wish. He yelled it. He was clearly not a cyclist as he resembled Santa Claus (well, maybe he rides recumbent. Who knows?) Yet he stressed this point heavily.

He went on to say that cyclists are NOT REQUIRED (his emphasis) to use a bike lane even if one is there. (This is California law before you go ballistic.) They are REQUIRED (his emphasis) by law to leave to bike lane for turns. They are required to follow the same laws as car drivers. He also made a big point that drivers should not react poorly to cyclists because cyclists are reducing congestion. They should be encouraging cyclists by understanding their rights to the road.

And for all those who get all huffy that in your state cops will give you a ticket if you leave the bike lane, he made this point over and over again: You can get a ticket any time for almost anything any time a cop wants to give you one. So the only thing you can do is be safe and drive (ride) defensively.

If in California the legal system is teaching that cyclists are not required to use a bike lane even if one is present, why do you anti-bike lane people
a) keep saying the opposite
b) want to take away bike lanes for those who want to use them

And if the law is set up to give you tickets at any time for any reason, what difference does it make to you whether or not some cop can come and give you a ticket for not using a bike lane. He can give you a speeding ticket, too, if he thinks your speed is not safe, even if it's below the speed limit.

Anyway, thought you'd be interested.