Re the skinny streets: As you note, the motorist refuses the enter the door prize zone on their own side of the street. What that often does, in my observation, is shift that risk onto an oncoming cyclist on the opposite side of the street! because the motorist is basically running straight down the centreline of the street. The sense of entitlement never ceases to amaze me.
I'd like to know why a lot of motorists can't seem to stick to their lanes, either - more often than I care to remember I've been buzzed by or witness cars that straddle the 1/3 curb lane by the parked cars and 2/3 of the left lane for no apparent reason - I've been forced to the curb in a pretty violent way when one cab tried to take that 'lane' on Danforth, too. I had to yell at a driver yesterday who was driving half/half, and at the time (rush hour eastbound traffic) there were a bunch of cyclists around me, which I was passing all in the curb lane - this idiot was trying to overtake, but didn't have anywhere near enough room so was tailgating the truck/trailer while half/half. My yell was a "respect your effing lane markings, a-hole" - not perhaps the most diplomatic thing to say I admit.