Originally Posted by
B. Carfree
1. So, it would be more stressful for you to force a few motorists to slow down and drive with due regard for other road users than to be buzzed by riding too far right. I disagree, but this is your ride, not mine. Unfortunately, cyclists who invite these close passes by riding too far right in unshareable lanes cause motorists to be upset with cyclists who take the lane when it is not wide enough to share, so I do have a self-interest in your riding style.
2. I never realized SoCal was so barbaric. I guess my innate NorCal dislike of all things SoCal is justified.
3. I have a hard time imagining car-addicts mustering the wherewithal to change the laws of California such that bikes are banned. This is the only state to have established explicit carbon emission targets, after all.
Look, you invited the motorist to buzz you. When he obliged, you gave him a hard time. He responded negatively to being hassled. No surprises here, but you do have a teachable moment if you are willing to see what is on offer.
Toronto is in Canada, not California.
My commute is on a 50km (30mph) busy route with (mostly) 2 1/2 lanes each way (it had streetcar tracks at one time) and no rush hour parking. So there is mostly lots of room but occasionally the road narrows and it's a good idea to take the lane.
Sometimes I misjudge those occasions (hard to predict the occasional giant vehicle driven by an idiot at a narrow spot) but it doesn't give them the right to run me over. I invited nothing. If people are angry with you and choose to buzz you they will do so regardless of where you are riding.