Originally Posted by genec
Not to dispell any of what you just said... but think about the mental state of the two cyclists you just contrasted. One is juggling timing, potentials, safety, and "his conspicuity," and the other is just riding along...
Who is likely to have less stress?
Of course two minutes later, one has reached their destination, and the other is awaiting an ambulance...
Indeed, some stress can be good.
But I also think the stress associated with the processing required while riding "mentally integrated", as with any activity, lessens with practice and experience. Situations that used to stress me out on my commute when I first started doing it don't bother me at all anymore (and haven't for years).
I think bike lanes hinder the natural progression from stressful integration to low-stress integration by allowing the unitiated to travel in blissful ignorance riding in a "mentally segregated" state. It's like never removing the training wheels, or trying to learn to swim with a life jacket on.
By seeking to avoid stressful integration, whether it's riding in bike lanes on bike laned streets, or curb hugging and sidewalk cycling on unbikelaned streets, cyclists keep themselves from having the opportunity to make progress towards advanced and low-stress integration.