So first things first, let’s get something straight: cars are vehicles, but bicycles are vehicles as well. When you are riding your bicycle you should follow the rules of the road the same way cars do. Creating your own rules out of thin air creates confusion for everybody. You must integrate yourself with the rest of traffic as if you are a slow-moving vehicle, because that is what you are.
I've been psyching myself up to get into bicycling (there are two cycles, you say?). If this thread on Reddit is anything to go by, bikers in LA are tough as nails.