Originally Posted by
genec
Gee then your comment is totally irrelevant, unlike the situation the OP experienced in which they were passed by a vehicle with other vehicles around in which vehicles are warned not to pass.
You have nothing to say here, move on.
Originally Posted by
DX-MAN
So, it was (for you) "don't sweat the small stuff"; how big will it need to get before you DO sweat it? I'd prefer you survive the answer to that question, irreverent wiseguy that you are...... You do provide a certain perspective.
Despite the smarmy response of the first responder, and because you express a desire to read a different perspective in addition to the usual group think, I will give you the straight up answer.
Perhaps you and others missed the OP's choice comments in the middle of his wall of words that I find significant:
"I ride in the middle of the lane as I pass through the tunnel, so as not to entice motorists to pass me; by law,
I am entitled to claim the lane."
The OP appears more interested in claiming his "entitlement" and less interested in his own safety. With more situational awareness, which seems a reasonable expectation for a cyclist in the OP's situation in a tunnel (like, ya know, being aware of vehicles following as well as approaching) he would not be so dang insistent on
enforcing the rules no matter what the situation.
If the police car (or any other motor vehicle) was the only other motor vehicle in that tunnel at that moment, there was no reason for the OP to "claim" the middle of the lane as the police car approached. Yes the police car should not have passed, but if the OP had not been making his "claim" there would have been no close pass. In fact how close the car was is not mentioned, since his outrage appears to be that he was passed no matter how safe the pass was. If a cyclist is going to get bent out of shape whenever motorists don't obey his law enforcement tactics, or finds a need for apologies whenever his feathers get ruffled he is in for a rude awakening.