As much as I'd like to think it's an empathy gap of not knowing something, I firmly believe that those that are triggered by cyclists sharing the road is an entitlement related issue coupled with a perceived physical vehicle size intolerance.
Those that fued over cyclists being in the way are likely to exhibit those same thoughts towards operators of motorcycles... just that those motorcycles can match & exceed the average passenger vehicles around them.
We live in a world of "don't inconvenience me" & "I'm entitled to that too"
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