Soon(ish) I'm going to be getting myself a bike to commute to work, and anywhere else I feel I can bike to. Now, I'm excited, and I've gotten a lot of good suggestions in my other thread on which bike I should get. I'm in the throes of doing my research as to where I should buy my accessories. But before I ever get on the thing, I want to ask more experienced commuters a question.

How did you get over whatever fear of streets you may have had?

It's been ingrained in me since I rode my first bike as a kid to never ride in the street. NOW everyone says the safest thing is to ride IN the street. Looking at the drivers even from a car scares the bajeezus out of me, and I don't even have a clue how I'd turn onto a busy street, which is literally my only way to work. Even if I knew the residential area well enough, I still am forced to ride the main street to get there.

So, tips from the experienced? What did you do to suck it up and get on the street?