.... I told him that as a cyclist I am allowed to use the vehicle lane if there are obstacles in my path that would make it unsafe to be in the bicycle lane, and that she's not supposed to pass that close. His retort? "Move along". ....
I think this is the mistake you are making. If there is an 'obstacle' in your way (other cyclists in this case, from the sounds of it...) you have no right to just swerve into the other lane of traffic to get around it; you must wait until it is safe to do so. When driving a motor vehicle, I can't just jump into the passing lane on an interstate for example, simply because someone in front slows down. I might add that at no point do you suggest that you SIGNALED your turn into the vehicle lane. My suspicion is you just dashed your butt into the lane of traffic. My sympathy for you is quite limited, and if you had been bumped, the cop would have given ya a good lesson in getting what you deserved.
People don't take lane changes seriously enough.
roughstuff