Why does being on a bike in London cause so much conflict? (this time, a jaywalker)

OK tonight i spoke to a couple of people in my family who live in London about this (they are non-cyclists). They had both been nearly hit by "courier types". they thought that in this type of situation, it is always the fault of the cyclist. According to them, the pedestrian can walk in the street as they please, and if they get hit, it's not their fault. The reason being that cyclists shouldn't go so fast that they can't stop if a pedestrian jumps in the road with no warning. I am not making this up, and I am not exaggerating. How pig-headed is that? I got the impression that they both thought that because they were at risk of serious injury, the cause of that risk (THEM) had no bearing whatsoever.

Uh Bikesnob put it best:

"The surest way to disaster is mindless adherence to rules, routine, and procedure, because they do not account for the unexpected—or, as I prefer to call it, the stupidity factor. Take pedestrians, for example. When you have the green, pedestrians will not think twice about crossing against the light, right in front of you. They will also usually look near you but not at you, as though they’re following Jerry Seinfeld’s procedure for admiring a woman’s breasts without being caught. Conversely, when they do have the light and you have a red, they’ll generally stop dead and look at you as though you’re about to run them down. When you’re dealing with this sort of stupidity, all bets are off. If you don’t believe me, go outside right now and stand at a busy corner. Wait until a large vehicle is approaching, and then run across the street. I guarantee at least five people will follow you to almost certain death. These bovine are simply too stupid to live, and if you blindly follow traffic rules they will take you right down with them."