bike rider doored by taxi, page-173

I'm impressed that you have managed to respond in a calm, unemotional, logical manner to all this criticism, at great length

*laughs* Thanks. I'm simply looking at it from the point of view that the majority of car drivers don't appreciate what cyclists have to be aware of on the road, and why we sometimes behave the way we do. If we can understand each other, and know what to expect, it helps to ease the tensions that exist, and that makes the roads safer for everybody.

we wouldnt see so many squeezing between cars at the lights

Lane splitting is done for a few reasons; in my case, when I do it, it's because traffic is banked back far enough that I'll get through the lights quicker by doing so (one cycle, instead of two or three). That gets me on my journey and out of the way of the car drivers that are behind me: if traffic is moving so slowly that lane splitting is a net win for me, I'm not going to cause extra delays by doing so.

But I'll only lane split if I have enough room to do it safely; and I'll always be on extra high alert for unexpected behaviour (door opening in particular) when I'm doing it.

They do indeed need their own lane, and a greater sense of self preservation

I've already outlined the issues I have with bike lanes. They're a great idea, but at least in Melbourne, the execution leaves a very great deal to be desired. If we're going to do it, we need to do it properly; I understand the frustration of car drivers at seeing cyclists not using them, but at the same time, so many of them are grossly unsafe because of the deficiencies I've highlighted.

As for the sense of self preservation, this is absolutely true, but please remember, you're more likely to remember those that are doing the wrong thing. Because I'm a cyclist as well as a car driver, I do take note of all the cyclists I see on the road and give them plenty of room; the vast majority are - at least to my eye - doing the right thing. I'm not here to defend the indefensible; I'm simply trying to highlight things that most people don't consider, because they don't have to live with them.

Travel safely.