Yeah I'm a pretty confident skier + typical NYC jaywalker so a lot of these principles you mentioned apply to how I bike as well. Still, I get uneasy feelings when I'm riding on the exposed bike lane next to the multi lane road (i.e 10th Ave near Lincoln Tunnel) where aggressive NYC drivers are swerving lanes and driving like assholes all around.

On edge one of them's gunna clip me from behind with their side-view mirrors, esp on the streets where it's narrow. There's also left turns that cross through a green light'd bike lane, and I'm always fearful one car isn't gunna look behind and see me coming when he initiates his left turn

Does anyone fear for their life biking in Manhattan outside of like the West End/East End dedicated lanes and Central Park? Construction, crazed delivery drivers E-biking the wrong way, Uhauls parked in the bike lanes, and you're literally exposed next to crazed drivers on like 9th/10th Ave or Midtown

Shit makes me anxious af to get rammed