most non-cyclists are completely unaware that a bicycle has as much a legal right to be on the roads as a car. I had a conversation with my co-workers over lunch the other day about it as they were complaining about cyclists taking over the road. I informed them that for a vehicle to be deemed by law to have a right on the road a certain amount of these vehicles (and I'm sorry but I can't remember how many right now) has to be sold, and bicycles exceed this limit sold every year in this country, which means we have just as much right to that road as a normal car, so if that means we want to ride 5 abreast, we can as long as we stay within one lane, a car still has to go around you in the other lane, like it would another car. But because cyclists are curteous we ride mostly in single file, and in the yellow line (which I pointed out is illegal even for us to do, because we share the same rights as a car and it's illegal for them to do so) to give cars the right to the road, and that a car by law has to go past you and leave 1.5 meter space. They were astounded and had no idea and all of them said that in future they will have more regard and patience for cyclists on the road. I think we are treated the way we are because of lack on knowledge of general road rules and laws of this country, so we need to educate people, and beleive me no one who doesn't cycle is going to do this, so us cyclists need to do it ourselves, without getting into fights and situations like that. my 2c
