Thanks for all the feedback. Sorry I wasn't able to stay on top of the conversation in a more timely manner. Busy weekend...
I actually do appreciate the arguments made, and contrary to popular belief am not just trolling your boards. The argument that stood out the most to me was the point made that cars aren't restricted to just commuting back and forth to work. My issue is that someone would cause traffic issues on busy roads because they just wanted to have fun. I doubt there's any law to prevent me from passing gas in a restaurant booth next to you, but if you found out I was ruining your dinner because I just enjoyed farting and believed I had a right to do so, you would probably be frustrated too. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
As for the original reason for roads being for bicycles, I contend that point by mentioning that roads have been around far longer than bicycles. When "traffic" on these roads got to be much too fast for pedestrians, they were moved to sidewalks to make way for the faster moving vehicles.
As for claims that I am a gas-guzzling climate-denier, I'll just point out that I commute by motorcycle most of the time. My motorcycle gets 45 miles per gallon. There are plenty of greener folks in the world. It would literally take me hours to commute to work each way on a bicycle. Not all of us have a situation that allows us to make that choice in the name of environmental awareness, so we do what we can.
What I like best is the suggestion that I try cycling. I am an avid mountain biker. I love the sport and spend as much time as possible doing it. In places designed for it. I get great exercise in the great outdoors and manage to do so without inconveniencing anyone in the process.
All that being said, I am starting to come around to some of the points made here. One thing that came to mind while reading through the responses (that I'm surprised no one brought up) are horses drawn carriages in Amish country. I doubt I would get upset if I came across an Amish person even if it was in the middle of my commute. I realize that I should feel the same way about Eco-conscious commuting cyclists - both are making sacrifices for their beliefs.
My main gripe is just with the folks that are joyriding on busy streets during rush hour. I yearn for the day where we in metro Atlanta have a more balanced transportation system as a whole, where mass transit is more viable and the sheer density of cars on the over-stressed roads is somehow alleviated. However, I doubt that will happen in my lifetime. For now, our traffic situation here (and in many other places in the country) just flat out sucks. For the overwhelming majority of commuters, motorized vehicles are the only viable option to get around. The sad truth (in light of the environment) is that bicycles make an already terrible situation even worse. Maybe the solution is more bike lanes. Is there an organization that works to promote the development of bike lanes?
Yes, my original post was my first on these boards. I sought out these boards looking for the other side of the argument. I try to do this with everything I find myself feeling aggravated about in order to make sure I'm not missing anything (this comes in really handy in politics- keeps you from becoming too angry at one side or the other). Just because I may disagree with a lot of you doesn't mean I'm just here to provoke you. You might consider that I may have a valid point every once in a while, too.