Anonymous wrote:
Secondly: Most busy streets have biking lanes. Using empty sidewalks is encouraged. No cyclist would even dream of taking the lane, they stay on the shoulders of the streets at all times.

From what I understand, in general the cycling culture in "bike friendly" parts of Europe (certainly the Netherlands and Denmark) is charecterized by very widespread protected bike lanes (often raised from the street, and closer to the sidewalk) and slower riding (in ordinary clothes and a wider range of ages and abilities), and shorter riding distances (because of generally denser cities, less sprawl)

To get there we need not only far more and better bike lanes than we have, we need differently built cities. Someone commuting 20 miles by bike is not going to ride at 8MPH, and someone going fast does not belong on sidewalks, and not in door zone bike lanes, and sometimes not in bike lanes at all.

I just want to comment re: Germany and how they treat cyclists differently than Washingtonians.

First of all: Cycling classes, including theory on street laws and a final exam are highly encouraged, if not mandatory in middle school.
Secondly: Most busy streets have biking lanes. Using empty sidewalks is encouraged. No cyclist would even dream of taking the lane, they stay on the shoulders of the streets at all times.
Lastly: Along with defensive driving, they are also taught to respect the stronger vehicles on the road (i.e.: ride single file and no more than three people in a row before leaving space for a car to pull in between when there's oncoming traffic).

And even with those precautions, there are many dangerous behaviors on the streets. Especially roundabouts are the worst. Cyclists cutting through them and right into the blind spots of cars that even blinked for their exit turn. Many of these problems come from the bikers thinking: "you're stronger than me, so you have to watch out for me and not vice versa."

As a driver, it's enraging, but less because of the inconvenience and more because it frankly scares the crap out of you. In the end you might not be physically harmed, but it'll be your conscience on the line if you hit somebody because they felt like it's your duty to look out for them even when they're honestly tempting fate and endangering themselves.

Most cyclists seek out safe roads. But there aren't a lot around and you have to take unsafe ones to get to the safe ones.