Funny thing, I tried "car-free" just walking before I discovered bicycling. It only lasted about a month and I nearly came to blows several times crossing a street with the crossing signal, with some idiot trying to blow through the right turn honking and red-faced. Some of them were trying to maim me and in some cases it was unambiguously deliberate.

On a bike in the through lane those intersections became no trouble at all. So I kind of agree with you on HTFU or at least the just ride part. I was thinking about this thread this morning, maybe one in three were giving me three feet, some around 2 feet or under. These wouldn't have registered as "close passes" if I hadn't been looking for it. It's just not that big a deal unless they're swerving at you - except for the rare freak they're just trying to get to work and driving by routine habit, the same as the rest of us.