Lots of good points about finding other routes . . .

I've had a theory for a while (and I'm probably not unique in this) that being in a car makes people behave in ways they wouldn't in any other social situation. They (we) feel that because they're in a big protective shell and since interaction between drivers/other users is so fleeting, one can swear, yell, shake fist/flip finger with few lasting consequences. For example, I will yell all kinds of obscenities at other drivers . . . from the safety of my own car, with the windows closed. In a real interpersonal situation, I would keep my mouth shut and back away slowly, since I am small and probably easily overpowered.

Funny how you never see a cyclist exhibiting "road rage" type behavior.

If drivers are being rude, don't take it personally . . . they're probably having a bad day and taking it out on everybody, not just cyclists . . . or they're just jerks. It will take time for people to learn how to share the road, and even then, people will probably still behave badly. Do be careful on that commute of yours. We do take on a certain amount of risk/vulnerability when we're on our bikes in heavy traffic . . . and getting hurt is a real drag.