Hi Al. I couldn't agree with you more about the "holier-than-thou" attitude and reprehensible behaviour of most cyclists, especially in London, where they assume Divine Right to do just what they please and f**k everyone else!
I was recently in East London myself, back to my roots, more or less, in Mile End, and was quite angered at the huge reduction in carriageway widths in both directions to give space to cycle lanes, stealing from motorists the road space we pay for and increasing our journey times and congestion.
As they have been given so much road space, it is now high time to issue them with number plates, tax them and make them carry insurance kike we have to.
The police/government are always looking for ways to make more money out iof us, so this offers them another line of revenue and if cycliste were obliged to register and display number plates, they would be accountable in the same way, too.
Although for the offences you describe, Al, there are penalties available (e.g. £30 for cycling on the pavement) when was the last time you saw a cyclist being stopped and fined?
Ron.