em·pa·thy (mpuh-th) n.

You're a sport cyclist riding solo on a well-traveled, 4-lane highway: You're 3 miles from the outskirts of town, headed for the country roads.  The road has a only 6-inch shoulder and you decide it's best to ride just a couple of inches to the right of the shoulder stripe, allowing ample room for cars to pass you in your lane if they choose not to change to the left-hand lane.  A person in a pickup truck passes you closely, nearly striking you with their side mirror while yelling an obscenity and telling you to "get off the road!".

In both scenarios, one party is right and one party is wrong.  As cyclists, we've got to behave sensibly, according to a published code of practice, and educate motorists about our stance.  Then it's will be up to motorists to do their part.  But they need to know what we stand for, why we do what we do, and I think they will gain a new insight on sharing the road.

P.S. Some roads are not worth cycling on, because of the safety risk they pose and the potential to irritate motorists.  As cyclists we might have a right to use them, but is it a prudent thing to do?  There are almost always more enjoyable alternatives.