Hard to disagree with OP. Nassau and Suffolk counties, (NY) are night and day different from the advocacy and government support seen in New York City, nor is there a Bike New York to support education. Unfortunately the cases sited in the original post are too often simple lack of sense on the part of the cyclists, or poor management on the part of parents. We don't know if those people riding at night had lights, but too often cyclists do not, and yet they'd never leave home with a car with no lights. Based upn my experience, our LEOs would always blame the cyclist regardless of the circumstance (NOT unique as BF'ers know) so motorists have no reason to respect our rights to the road (or as we know, you simply repeat "I didn't see him/her."). We can only stay alert, and give them no ammunition by following the rules of the road.