Cyclists are like other non-majority populations in one respect... we are all judged by the offensive actions of a few. I won't defend reckless and dangerous cyclists. In fact, I'd like to see better enforcement of traffic laws on cyclist. However, take a moment to compare the consequences of reckless driving with the reckless cycling. I am not aware of anyone ever being charged with using their bicycle as a weapon.
I am a cyclist and a driver. I understand the challenges of both forms of transportation. And with that perspective, I abide by a simple tenet I call the rule of the most vulnerable. This rule is simple… yield to the form of transportation that is most vulnerable.
In some ways, the vulnerability of riding a bicycle on the street is analogous to living between the targets at a shooting range. Your survival is very much dependent upon the skill, concentration and experience of the shooters. If the shooters are texting, eating or drunk the consequences can be deadly. Of course most shooters don’t want to hit you, so they would prefer you didn’t hang around on the shooting range. But the consequences of an errant bullet are different for the people living between the targets and those doing the shooting.