Discussions

Using the crosswalk, when your should wait your own turn is NOT courteous to those you have caused to stop. Again, it is you being entitled, feeling that you should be able to do what you want. It is selfish. Being courteous would be waiting your turn for the traffic to go by.

Ok imagine you are at intersection of 18th Street and Kirkaldy Drive by Corral Centre. I am riding bike on bike path coming from Riverbank Discovery Centre and wanting to cross 18th street to continue onto bike path to head south on 18th street. So I am not on the north side of Kirkaldy lined up with the cars because there is a bike path on the south side of Kirkaldy. I dismount my bike, push button and wait. The line-up of cars that are backed up on Kirkaldy are 30 cars long because of the dike/road blocks and the amount of traffic in the afternoon.  
 
Do you really want me to walk my bike and make the line-up of cars wait even longer for me to cross? I am in no hurry but if I walk then that will stop about 10 cars from having time to turn at an already congested intersection. It is also less safe because some cars will try to turn in front of me before I get to the meridian and then I will be in middle of intersection and hope that the driver stops for me walking across. And that the driver behind them doesn't rearend them when they stop in the middle of the intersection to let me walk in front.  
 
If I hop on my bike and ride across quickly then I don't hold up traffic and I feel it is safer because everyone can see me as long as I make eye contact with the first driver in the line-up (who would have just been asked for spare change from the homeless guy....but that is a whole other discussion)  
 
I think this is maybe an example that Thebrofessor would be alluding to. As a cyclist I want to get exercise and have a safe ride that doesn't inconvenience the car drivers.

As a motorcyclist for thirty years I see all kinds of road users ( including some motorcyclists ) displaying dangerous behaviour, aggressive driving habits and putting themselves and others in danger. This is mostly caused by poor attitude and lack of paying attention to those around us . It is our duty to follow the law, give due consideration to all other road users and to drive/bike/walk defensively.  
This is not caused by necessarily by a lack of skill but rather by poor attitude towards others.

If cyclists are going to follow the strict letter of the law they are also to ride in the lane as a vehicle would. Not by the curb to let cars by. So that means a car would have to follow behind at a safe distance until safe to pass.