I guess rules and regulations differ from place to place. Here in Montreal there are speed limits posted on the bike paths; its illegal for cyclists to drive any way except single file, and there's a minimum distance that's legally required between bicycles. All that applies to bike paths AND public streets.

There are also bicycle races organized on a weekly basis here involving hundreds of cyclists. For those events roads are shut down and barricades and security guards are posted at intersections. The rules mentioned above don't apply on a closed course.

And I agree with your dad. There's an increasingly serious problem with cyclists blowing stop signs, riding side by side - sometimes with no hands, and generally taking an 'I'm the center of the universe' attitude. Commuters with hybrids and mtb bikes seem to be much less of an issue - for some reason drop bars and CF frames and club colors seem to decrease rider IQ.