I'm so glad you brought this up...as a commuter in a busy city, it scares me just how close to danger I am every day. I try very hard to be conscientious, and I do try to take the lane, because IMHO, I feel if cyclists are expected to ride on top of parked cars, that gives drivers the right and expectation to run you off the road...not to mention getting whacked by a car door ain't all that fun!

The one thing I do, which maybe is bad, is that I do go in front of a car when the light's red. I do this but immediately pedal and pull over to the right a bit for them to pass me. And if I am next to a car, I wait for him to get in front of me to prevent being clipped on a turn, and I always turn my head to glance at the driver, hoping to make eye contact. Personally, I think it should be mandatory for drivers AND cyclists to take saftey courses every two years or so...can't we all use a refresher course?