Originally Posted by zeytoun

I would venture to say that, in those circumstances, bicyclist number 100 is a dork.

Recklessly flying through stop signs and red lights is one thing, but there is no safety-related reason for a cyclist to come to a complete stop at a stop sign if it is clear there is no other traffic present. Unlike a car, a bicycle has much greater visibility (significantly reducing the chance of a cyclist not seeing another party) and maneuverability (if the cyclist does overlook someone, they have much greater chance of avoiding a collision inside the intersection) and much lower mass (in case of collision, would cause much less damage.)