This is such a strange topic. There are those in the middle; they approve of doing one or the other based on circumstances. And then there are the die-hards with the 'no quarter asked, no quarter given' attitude.

Though I have my opinions, I'm not pointing this out in order to judge. It just seems curious to me that there's so much rigidity in this area. It's a lot like politics.

Me? I do believe in taking the lane. But only when I have no other choice. Or where traffic is light enough that it doesn't matter. But I get out of traffic when I can. Sometimes that means taking the sidewalk. But around here pedestrians are about as common as bicyclists. If there were no cars, then I'd be alone on the roads. So pedestrian/bicycle safety issues are non-existent. The heart of a big city would clearly be a different matter.

In your case, the sidewalk/lane question would be decided over the matter of pedestrians plus driveways or other motor vehicle-type impediments. You'll have to evaluate, and keep on evaluating, those things yourself.

As another poster suggested, he made his choice and you're making yours. That's okay. And if you change your mind in the future, then that's fine too.