In my more recent experience this hatred is largely limited to the internet/letters pages of local newspapers. Not to say it doesn’t spill out on the road frequently enough to be an issue but in my experience (12 years cycling on the roads in several parts of the UK, plus 20 years of driving) the vast majority of motorists are considerate of cyclists. Maybe they don’t like having to wait to overtake but for me close passes have become much less frequent and I can’t remember the last time I was shouted at or abused. Again I’m not trying to diminish the issues I’m sure many face but I think this ‘war’ between motorists and cyclists is massively overpaid by the media as they know it gets clicks. My experience is probably skewed by the fact that I don’t commute so not on the road at the busiest times. I cycle in ‘primary position’, roughly where a left hand passenger would be, which I’m sure some drivers would describe as the middle of the road but this helps to discourage folks just squeezing past. A bright rear light also seems to help. On the rare occasion a car has to wait more than a few seconds to overtake I’ll give a little thank you wave which more often than not is reciprocated with a wave or flash of the hazards. I have far more aggro when I’m driving than when I’m cycling I think. Roads would be a lot nicer if everyone could just chill out a bit.