What nobody seems prepared to acknowledge in this kind of discussion is that anti-cyclist sentiment, particularly in cities, is largely inspired by the envy which the old, unfit, timid and lazy naturally feel towards the young, athletic, bold and energetic, which is what most urban cyclists are.(In the country it's different - old maids cycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist, etc). Added to this is the understandable resentment which motorists feel about people who, unfairly in their view, are able to scoot around congested street more quickly and enormously more cheaply than they can. If non-cyclists were prepared to admit to these sentiment and cyclists realized the extent to which they inspire them, that would be the first step towards a sensible accommodation between the two factions.