It seems like I always have a problem with the cars that have just driven past me, then suddenly decide they need to turn/park/whatever very quickly. Apparently, even though I was in their line of sight 30 seconds earlier, they think I've disappeared. Cars in general are terrible at judging how fast a bike is going.
I had one car partially pass me, hit the brakes and basically swerve into a parking spot. I literally bounced off of the car door (which was loud and left a nice bruise on my shoulder), stayed upright on the bike, and just kept biking. I was too shaken up/paralyzed to think to do anything else. This is my official 'close call.'
I've also had someone pass me, then slam on their brakes and turn right - I managed to stop about a foot before I slammed into their door. Of course they saw me/heard me yell at them mid turn and stopped...right in front of me.
Then there was the time that some idiot in a zipcar was parked in the bike lane at the bottom of a hill, in such a way I couldn't see him (I can't recall exactly, but I think there was a bus and the road curves just a bit). I wasn't quite able to stop in time, so I hit the back of the zipcar with my hand to a complete stop - making a loud noise and scaring the shit out of the driver. This one is partly on me, and I go more slowly at that part of my route now. People are always pulled over in the bike lane (everywhere I bike) for some fucking reason. It must be okay to stop if you can get halfway out of traffic, right?
Drivers here are crazy. If there weren't a large number of bikers here too, it'd probably be too dangerous. There is some awareness of bikers, due to the constant stream of us. As it is, there are a lot of morons driving distracted and then suddenly realizing they see a parking spot or need to turn, etc. I should get a camera....
<takes off annoyed biker hat, puts on city planner hat>
In reality, there are too many people that need to get around with too little infrastructure for people's current preferences. Driving sucks and is very, very frustrating - the other drivers are terrible and traffic is awful. It makes almost everyone (including past me) an aggressive driver, which is bad for everyone, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It's a vicious cycle. But people like their cars, no matter how impractical - so mass transit is underfunded (and they are going to raise fares, because disincentivising mass transit makes sense), and driving isn't effectively discouraged. Increasing numbers of people are biking, for which there is plenty of road capacity - and there are even advertising campaigns to promote it. Places do need to increase the number of bike racks, but that is a minor concern. I drove for years - I should have been biking the entire time. I'm sure there are many people like past me - people who could get around other ways, but drive because it is the default.
</long text rant>