"K-Man" wrote in message
...
I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile the other day. I
was riding on the main 4-lane road going through town,

I'll let others deal with the 'should I take the sidewalk?' part as I'm
sure many are eager to.

My 2 cents worth regarding the 'as far to the right as I could without
going into the gutter' part: It may seem counter-intuitive, and most
jurisdictions laws are worded in the manner of: 'cyclists should stay as far
to the right as is _practical_ or _reasonable_' or some other qualifying
words BUT: sometimes that merely encourages auto-addicts to crowd you off
the road. Some motorcyclist acquaintances of mine claim similar experiences
especially wrt to cars passing them without moving fully into the other
lane. They say eventually they get crowded right off the roadway.
Consequently they ride near to the centre line to force autos to fully take
the other lane to pass.

As cyclist you should consider whether the conditions merit 'taking the
lane' for your own safety - Both to be more visible, and less likely to be
crowded off.

As I said; my 2 Canuckian cents worth.

--
Ricky: 'What's an aptitude test?'
Lahey: 'A suitability test, Ricky'
Ricky: 'I'll wear a suit if I have to'