As these streets often have parking on both sides of the road, there's little more than a car-width's space in the centre for traffic. Passing a cyclist becomes difficult, but experience tells me that even on short roads car drivers find it hard to be patient and travel behind a cyclist. I can recall too many times when a car has squeezed passed me on a residential street, only for the two of us to be reunited at the junction at the end of the road. I know this is the rat race, but really: what's the point?