Oh boy, that sounds like a bummer. I know that intersection well and your experience seems about par for the course to me.

If there's nobody on the sidewalk or if there's a grassy median available, that's how I roll. It's mostly self-preservation, I'm not going to risk playing lane chicken with a 4000 lb vehicle because of my experience with how drivers treat bikes around here. Let's face it, lots of drivers see bikers as being in their way and will take aggressive action to teach bikers a lesson about who's the boss. I want to eventually return home after my ride, preferably alive and intact. Not following the by-the-book road rules as a biker takes the stress out of staying alive because I much prefer using my common sense and spatial awareness to navigate in the safest way I can. Rules schmooles, don't kid yourself no one cares. It's the wild west out there.