[MENTION=418370]canklecat[/MENTION] - cyclists running red lights here in the UK is mainly what antagonises drivers. Unfortunately far too many cyclists do this. I try and ride courteously and always move over to let cars pass if I know that I’ve been inadvertently holding them up.
Interesting. In all the videos I've seen of UK drivers assaulting cyclists, the assaults were completely unprovoked.
However a common theme among all complaints by some drivers is that *all* cyclists are terrible because *some* cyclists ride in a way that those drivers consider unlawful, dangerous or annoying.
Even some of my ultra-liberal friends have made similar complaints about cyclists -- condemning an entire group based on their annoyance with a few examples. I've pointed out that this attitude violates their own principles that one shouldn't judge or condemn an entire race or group based on selective examples of bad behavior by a few people who happen to fit a target niche that's convenient for bigots to hold up as representative of the entire group.
I'm not sure I've persuaded any of my friends who dislike cyclists. They tend to prefer to champion abstract causes, people they don't actually need to deal with on a daily basis ("Palestinians", as an abstract group, rather than homeless people in their own communities; or rather than, say, actually sponsoring a Palestinian to live in their homes while attending school and applying for citizenship), or animals over people (dogs, cats and horses get preferential treatment over cyclists -- many of whom in my community also happen to be impoverished and borderline homeless).
So it's a tough nut to crack, getting through to drivers that not all cyclists are the enemy simply because a few happen to be annoying.
And, yup, I try to make room for drivers as soon as it's safe for both of us. Typically if I must take the lane for my own safety I'll move right as soon as I can do so safely and wave drivers behind me that it's safe to pass. Sometimes it works out okay. I did that on my rural route ride Sunday and it worked out fine. There are a few traffic congested places along the access road I ride that's mostly very lightly traveled by vehicles. At construction bottlenecks I must take the only lane available. Usually any holdup is for only 100 yards, and I sprint to minimize any delays, then wave drivers ahead as soon as possible.