A lot of this sounds like rationalization for riding on the sidewalk. Not many pedestrians on so we will just take to the side walk. I guess it would be ok for motorcycles and scooters to do the same? Or better yet if the road is crowded with cars, small cars in a hurry might think, "why not take any open bike lane and just force bikes onto the sidewalk where they obviously belong?

If you give up your rights for the street is it little wonder others don't take transportation cycling seriously? I can't count the number of times I have been to a city planning meeting to propose bike lanes only to hear from some well meaning citizen, "why do they need a bike lane? Can't they use the side walk?" Good thing some of you weren't at those meetings. You make their case perfectly.