As someone who used to commute in traffic on a bicycle in the pre-WFH days, both these practices sound absolutely terrifying! You'd want to have an awful lot of faith in your fellow road users; I do not.
And another anecdote, my dad ended up under a car after someone rear-ended him while stopped in traffic on his motorcycle on the way to work one morning. The leather gear and rider awareness courses did not have any effect on the driver who ran into him. Doctor said he was lucky to live, and he never replaced the bike.
