I was pedalling around one day, doing a very relaxed grocery run, and I saw a motorcycle cop parked by the side of the road.
I pulled over and asked him traffic related questions. He wasn't all that helpful, didn't seem like he wanted to talk to me. I will say that cyclists are rare where I ride, very. I live in the country and commute to small towns to get food, booze, books, whatever. No one rides bicycles around here, other than a small group of townie spandex roadies who drive to ride, and kids. So I wondered what the cop would say.
When I asked him where I should ride, he told me that I had to be as far as possible to the edge of the pavement, and that was "the law".
Then I asked him about whether it wouldn't be safer for me to ride in the middle of my lane, or to the right side of center, because transports buzz past at 100km\per while I'm pinned to the two inches of pavement alloted by the law. Cars and trucks are worse, if not as menacing, I told the cop.
He shrugged and gave me the tired cop routine: "There's a lot of bad drivers on the road."
Ah, public servants, gotta love them.
I still keep to the side of the road because these people are lunatics, and are liable to run me down if I dare to invade the road with my slow speed freak show. But once in town I break all the rules I can, whenever I can. It might not be the right thing to do but damn, serious fun.