The gentleman was correct. It can be rough out there. People have been killed while riding their bikes. It is best to always be aware of your environment. While it is where we cyclists belong we never win in a car v bike altercation.
My racing career was ended by a car crash 6 years ago...2 broken arms, crushed L1, nerve damage, concussion, etc. Took one year just to heal up and get back on the bike. The injury that did not show was the psychological damage of terror when riding and having cars around me. It manifested itself in extreme anger causing me to nearly pull several people out of their cars for doing the stop sign creep while I was crossing the intersection. Figured after the third time of trying to pull a guy out of his car and wanting to kill him I better seek help. I did and while it took 6 months it worked and I can ride anger free thank God. However I lost my desire to race and never raced again after 18 years of racing.

The gentleman's comment was very good advice and should be heeded.