When I was younger, I thought that cyclists who took the road did so because they preferred the smooth (suburban) road surface to the bumpy sidewalk. Naturally, I assumed the sidewalk was safer, so I inferred that there must be a reason why some cyclists were willing to take the risk of riding with motor traffic. Now I know better, but I imagine many motorists have the same misconceptions, and would have trouble believing that the sidewalk is usually more dangerous for cyclists than the road, and the side of the road sometimes more dangerous than the center. (To the extent they feel this way, a degree of anger and impatience toward vehicular cyclists is understandable, though not justifiable.)

And until I got used to vehicular/urban cycling (I'm still a novice), it certainly seemed (and intuitively still does seem) safer to ride on the sidewalk, away from fast-moving cars.

As far as educating motorists...I'm 20, so it was only four years ago that I took driver's ed (Sears driving school in the Seattle area). I had a great classroom teacher, and both he and the materials he worked from emphasized cyclists' right to the road and the correct way to pass them (giving them a full lane, like any other vehicle). We were even taught to check our blind spot immediately before every turn (even right turns), specifically for the purpose of checking for cyclists. I believe much of this information was incorporated into the written part of the driver's license test. I don't know how long the curriculum has been this way, or whether it's this good in other counties or states. And of course plenty of people get a driver's license without learning or practicing many of the lessons taught in driver's ed, or they forget much of it over time.

I think much of the disagreement in this thread is petty, and a lot of it can be resolved by acknowledging that most of the opinions/experiences expressed herein, when stripped of hyperbole and absolutism, are not mutually exclusive. Some drivers are friendly, some are rude. Some are open to learning, some are arrogant. Some are patient, some impatient.

Some cyclists ride responsibly (depending on one's definition), some do not.

Some cyclists may become less vigilant when riding in a bike lane, some may be equally or more vigilant. Some drivers may be more apt to notice cyclists when there's a marked bike lane, some may be more apt to overlook them because they're not in the line of traffic.

Beyond this, we can argue over details -- how many do this, how often that happens, how safe this is -- but unless we have statistics (and source them so we're all on the same page), we can only rely on our own experience and speculation, none of which is the final word.

From my own obesrvations as a pedestrian for two years in downtown Rochester, NY, it's the rare cyclist who rides in traffic responsibly. Most forgo helmets, ride slowly, often prefer the sidewalk, sometimes ride against traffic, often don't signal, and are hardly predictable. There may be many cyclists who commute in traffic, and they may be somewhat more responsible, but as a pedestrian (having never driven a car in Rochester) I'm not usually in a place to see them, except very briefly.

From my experience in the last week or two, cycling in downtown Rochester (now that I have a bike), it took me a few days to get used to applying the principles of vehicular cycling (rather than feeling and acting like I don't belong on the road), but now I feel pretty comfortable (not to say unvigilant) riding in traffic, signaling, negotiating lane changes, taking the lane when necessary, avoiding the door zone, and tolerating impatient drivers. A few drivers have honked and passed me dangerously or rudely, others have passed responsibly or stayed behind, most have yielded to my signals and let me in, and some have been unusually accomodating/patient until I waved them by or our paths diverged. Indeed, some drivers respond best to an assertive biker (they're unsure what to do and are happy to accept direction, whether to pass, stay behind, or at least what to expect from you). Other drivers just resent you for being in their way; they're not worth wasting energy on.

Because of the great variety of attitudes and personalities, my feeling is that we as cyclists shouldn't try to explicitly "train" motorists or even worry too much about what they think of us. The best we can do, for everyone's sake, is simply to ride predictably, courteously, and of course safely/defensively. This way we respect drivers, whether or not they've earned our respect, and we invite respect, whether or not they return any. Beyond that, I don't think any on-the-road training or teaching (of motorists by cyclists) is called for, except in the rare but conceivable event where a driver questions us or shows a desire to learn.

(I think the same principles can apply when one is driving a car, especially in a way that's apt to annoy impatient or aggressive drivers, or in way we think others should emulate -- like obeying the speed limit or leaving ample space in front of one's car. The difficulty, whether driving or riding, is maintaining enough composure and self-respect to be unfazed and unswayed by angry/impatient or ignorant motorists who pressure one to speed and/or tailgate, run yellow/red lights, or ride one's bike dangerously close to parked cars and blind driveways.)