How do you feel about "packing up" five and six wide blocking lanes of traffic? I personally think it's pretty arrogant and is road rage waiting to happen.
I seldom do group rides, partly because I don't like some of the behaviour, and partly because I simply don't have the time. But let's think about "blocking lanes of traffic."
The typical lane here is seldom more than 12 feet wide. A cyclist should ride in the right-hand tire track, leaving about a third of the lane to his right and two thirds to his left. From the center of his bike to the center line of the road should be about 8 feet. A responsible motorist, taking due care and observing the law, must pass with at least three feet of clearance between his car and the bicycle rider. This means the motorist must straddle the center line or change lanes completely when passing a single bicycle.
So how does this change when there are multiple cyclists present? The motorist is still obligated to exercise care. It is still his responsibility to pass safely. And he's still going to have to straddle the center line or change lanes to pass.
What motorists are really objecting to in these circumstances is the requirement that they slow down. The presence of a large group almost guarantees the motorist will have to reduce speed, and for many of them, this is somehow immoral and anti-social. Yet these same people will gripe about others speeding through their neighborhood or around their schools.
Yes, I've seen cyclists riding more than 2 abreast and even crossing the center line 4 or 5 riders wide. If you experience something like that, you're perfectly within your rights to call the local police and report them, just as you're within your rights to report those speeding motorists you see on your daily commute. Would any of us realistically expect law enforcement to respond to either of these complaints? I wouldn't. Despite the knowledge that speeding takes lives, the speed limits aren't seriously enforced. Neither are the bicycling laws. Oh, they might take an enforcement action for a few days, but that's about all.
Is that being cynical or simply realistic?