A Pet Peeve: Bicyclists on the Road

Yesterday I nearly hit a bicyclist with my car.  He - the bicyclist - had to swerve farther into the road because a car was parked on the side.  This is just one example of a long list of grievances I have towards bicyclists and pedestrians using the road, so I am finally going to put some of my thoughts on paper - or keyboard.
I understand that our laws are such that bicycles are allowed to share the same road space as cars and other motorized vehicles, but this is one of those times where just because you can, does not mean you should.
I have no qualms with a person who is an avid bicyclist, dressing up in spandex and owning a $1500 bike he rides for 30 miles every day.  If that is how you want to stay fit, more power to you.  But I want these cyclists to just think a bit about their situation: you are on a two-lane road that is heavilly trafficked and relatively narrow.  There is a sidewalk on both sides of the street, but no bike lane in the road.  In the terrible yet very probable case that one day you get hit with a car, who will be the most hurt - you or the car?  Sadly, the loser in this situation is you.
This is a consequence I believe too few cyclists consider when they go for their ride.  At least in my home city of Rochester- a very cycle-friendly city, mind you - cyclists get all worked up after an accident is reported where a car hits a cyclist.  Don't misunderstand me, it is always a tragedy when someone gets injured or even killed, but cyclists need to understand that this is an inherent risk they take.
Construction of bike lanes or bike paths off the road help to provide cyclists with safer places to ride, but be aware that when you are on the road, you are at the mercy of the larger vehicles around you.  Personally, I don't ride on the road even if there is a bike path.  It's just much safer to ride on the sidewalk, and if I need to take a more cicuitous route to stay on sidewalked areas, so be it.  It is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
An argument I have heard against riding on the sidewalk has been that it is illegal.  I have yet to be pulled over by a police officer for riding on the sidewalk.  Even if a cyclist were pulled over, I sincerely doubt an officer would issue more than a warning.
Another argument is that cyclists could run into pedestrians on sidewalks.  Again, I have never run into a pedestrian while riding on the sidewalk.  It's strange but pedestrians seem to understand that bikes are bigger than them and if they collide with one, it will hurt.  So they generally move out of the way.  Besides, bikes have brakes for a reason - to stop.  If you are approaching a pedestrian while riding a bike, do the smart thing and slow down.  No one is timing you on how long it takes you to ride your 30 miles.
A while ago there was a humorous op-ed piece in my local paper where a cyclist argued sideWALKS were made for walking, thus the name.  Oddly though, I am quite capapble of riding my bike on those WALKways.  I am sure people on scooters, rollerblades, or kids in their plastic cars would agree that sidewalks - amazingly enough - are capable of more uses than just walking.
This is really what I would like to see changed.  First of all, cyclists: be aware of your surroundings and appreciate that you are in serious danger when on the road with cars.  Also, the rules of the road apply to you too - don't run red lights, don't ride through stop signs, and don't draft behind cars.  You're not Lance Armstrong and you are not cool, so stop.  Thirdly, I would like to see more people travel on side walks or bike paths - especially if the road you ride on has one adjacent to it.  Lastly, I would like to stop hearing the cyclist community complain about how unfair automobile drivers are to them on the road.  Ninety percent of the time - especially in a city - there are other options to ride on other than the road.  Drivers do not have that luxury.  If drivers make you so angry, avoid them and use another pathway.
If cyclists were to think about their situation a little more, there would be less enmity between them and drivers.