I have absorbed a lot of grief on this board over the years about my riding style in New Orleans. I've been called paranoid among other things. I try to keep my speed above 20mph and never stop for red lights unless I absolutely have to. I ride on THIS street 10 times a week minimum during my commute. I have been targeted twice but avoided both attempts by NOT riding in the bike lane but flowing with traffic.
It's easy to say how others should cycle and obey the law to the letter when you live in a civilized country. And if you ignore the facts on the ground in NOLA you might get a baseball bat in the chops.
Random Attacks On Cyclists With Baseball Bats in New Orleans
This stuff happens all the time but very rarely makes headlines here. This is small potatoes compared to the crime here on a regular basis.