Exactly. I believe a huge percentage of drivers are paying reasonable attention to where they are going and yet are not aware of that cyclist off to the side. And when such a cyclist suddenly sticks out his arm and swerves left, I don't blame the driver for not being able to avoid him.

Sure, I change lanes even when passing a cyclist riding in a bike lane, but that's because I know how unreliable most cyclists are, and, as a cycling advocate, it would be very embarassing to hit a cyclist! Even some BF members express the opinion, in so many words, that simply signalling gives them the right to merge left.

Al, I can't tell whether your tongue was implanted in your cheek when you wrote the above, but you reflect the belief of many cyclists: "the definition of inattentive driver is any driver who is not aware of my presence". It's lame and unrealistic.