Actually, you are starting to make some sense now, Serge. But - and I think Gene would agree with me - we could still have bike lanes and the legal right to use the traffic lanes when appropriate, without a litany of these types of incidents, if proper motorist education and enforcement was a bigger part of the equation.

The city and state governments have the responsibility to perform this type of education and enforcement, if for no other reason than because it is in the interest of public safety - government's essential charge - but they have almost entirely abrogated their responsibility in this regard. Typically, when a cyclist is the victim of harassment or worse and reports the situation to the authorities, at best the cops do nothing (no crime committed, no witnesses, blah blah); at worst, they side with the motorist. 'Share the road' messages are usually so vague they are worse than meaningless - most motorists still take 'share the road' to mean GTF outta my way.