Tom Anderson said:

*snip*

Now, in the ensuing conversation, he rather
forcefully expressed the opinion that it was *my* fault, since there was a
cycle lane on the road which i wasn't using (it's a nice lane, but it's a
contraflow one, and rather hard to get into from the wrong side). He is of
course mistaken - there is no obligation on bikes to use a cycle lane, and
no restriction on them using the main lanes if they'd rather. The psycho
bus driver apparently had the same misapprehension; is this common?

Yep, I get lots of "get on the cycle path" comments here in Lincoln. I
favour the mild retort thought up by someone he "get on the motorway". If
the car driver is clever, it neatly highlights the stupidity of their point
of view (i.e. the cycle lane might not be going where you want to go)
without being too confrontational. If the driver is thick, it is likely they
will merely be puzzled rather than homicidal. Of course, what the impatient
motorcyclist meant was "how dare you be in the way, cyclist scum"! Sadly,
also a common reaction[1].

This morning I noted that Skool Traffic was back again. On my return from
the pool, two roundabouts on my route were totally clogged with twits who'd
entered without being able to get off, and some nitwit in a Rover decided to
try and murder me by entering against the circulating traffic. That
certainly woke me up!

Regards,

-david

[1] ObBusDriverStory. Two weeks ago on my way to the pool, 0650 in the
morning I am whizzing along the Tritton Road (urban dual carriageway, wide &
clear) towards town with nary another vehicle in sight. Mr Bus Driver drives
up behind me and rather than overtake in the completely clear lane to my
right, sits behind me sounding his horn. For the next mile. Through two sets
of lights, at both of which I pointed out there was a whole lane he could
literally get a bus through *right there*. He didn't actually overtake me
until the flyover over the Fossdyke Canal. Peculiar, if not actually
threatening behaviour.