Originally Posted by Nick Bain

from a drivers perspective: read this> to the OP
they don't want to have to slow down because of someone else. In your case you were impeding traffic by riding in the lane when it sounds like there was enough room for the car to get by just by hugging the yellow line. Anyway in general a lot of traffic accidents are caused by people going too slow. What I think happened was when you made that driver slow down all the cars behind him turned there focus on the braking cars in front of them and were oblivious to anything else (oh why is this rubbernecker on the brakes for no reason). Now I blame all the cars for tailgating and that truck should have been extra cautious with a trailer. In general though when cars go slower they follow closer and their frontal vision is hindered greatly. So if you were as far right as possible which I know is hard to do in liberal California, I think it may have prevented the initial car from slowing greatly, he would have passed you and left the vision field open for the next car etc. I am not blaming you, this sounds like just one of those rare situations.

Personally I ride as far right as possible and most of the time people are smart enough to wait for the opportunity too pass when there is no shoulder. I also commonly get the ******* in a pickup that likes to pass me as close as he possibly can even though he has a wide open road. So in the end I think its safer to ride on the side. You said you get to the right when they pass anyway so why make them go into the other Lane?

There are various time when I ride in the middle of the road and its usually in 30 mph high traffic zones just to increase my visibility to others. or to keep from getting snubbed by somebody opening there car door. I will only do this if I am going faster than 15-20. I will "take the lane" people are usually to chicken to try and pass me anyway.

Sometimes if I am feeling especially yellow I will swerve around some so people will have a better chance at spotting me