I bike to work through gridlock and if you bike smart it's really not the hellscape people make it out to be. Filter on reds to the front so people on the opposite lane about to gun the left see you, and take your lefts by pulling over in front of the perpendicular lane and just go straight on the light change, then all you really have to worry about is potholes damaging your rim and your eyes can stay fixed forward. I was so happy to learn that left turn 'hack,' I haven't had to change a lane since, or check my mirror for that matter.
I have seen close calls by other bikers but they are either 1) riding their bike like they are in the suburbs (in other words, they might as well be deaf and blind), 2) clearly highly followed on Strava with vibrant tight neoprene and riding like its a closed course in the countryside, or 3) fixed gear prick skid stopping and aggressively weaving all over traffic with a Bluetooth speaker and calf tattoos. If you see any of these bikers, keep your distance.
Occasional gridlock for my commute (London) and it often is the hellscape I make it out to be because, uh, that's the hellscape I'm experiencing - pedestrians will step out without looking, even if you're ringing a bell; taxis will change lanes without warning; there's a large number of construction lorries with blind spots; and many drivers don't understand the concept of "leave room".
> but they are either [stereotypes]
Alas, I am none of those stereotypes (although I do ride a single gear, it's not fixed.)
