People tend not to react to parking violations by taking the law in their own hands with capricious, violent aggression because in general, Americans tend to be civil and respect the rule of law. Less so in NYC, but still broadly true.

You mean "moreso in NYC", right, as NYC is 59th out of the largest 100 cities when ranked by descending violent crime rate.

The problem is that "the idiots" will also resort to violence. It is not like cars being parked in shitty ways is a big enough problem for me to want the escalation on that matter on a societal level.

Cyclists can't be too aggressive to drivers. Many drivers already seem to have a deep hatred for cyclists as a group, and frankly it's all to easy for a driver to injure or even kill a cyclist through negligence. Open hostility towards drivers in the short term would quickly become catastrophic in the long term.

Ye some cyclist seems to have a "I don't care if you hurt me"-mentality when manouvering. It can be quite nervewrecking since indeed I don't and the ones they try to punnish likely can't care less if they would happen to do.

If cyclists pick a war with the general public, I think they'll lose. They're already unpopular (this website notwithstanding.)

This is generally overstated in both directions. Every time there's an actual analysis of the american publics opinion on cycling, the majority is neutral.

Which is not to say smashing windows is a good move. Though I would also contest that drivers breaking the law to endanger cyclists also don't make up the 'general public'. If they were not a small minority I would never ride my bike outside.

I would support this. Pedestrians should be able to wack cyclists on the sidewalk, and stab e-bikers, however. Certainly violence is the answer to enforcement issues, and not police.

I wish we would, but I’m just not that confrontational, and am worried about getting in trouble for that. Plus half the cars in question are for cops.

Would rather the law be on my side