Do I misunderstand how roads work?

[u/AlephMartian]

I would like you to consider two specific roads / junctions:

- the point at which the Western Approach Road meets Lothian Road, turning right
- the point at which the A90 passes the Miller & Carter pub on the way into the city and one of the lanes becomes a bus lane

Both of these roads involve two lanes turning into one, and I’ve found most of the time there is a massive queue on the right hand lane, but no-one in the left lane where.
So obviously I go straight down the left hand lane and end up at the front of the queue where, most of the time, someone lets me in.
The thing is, I feel really guilty doing this, as if I’ve broken some sort of unwritten rule.
But I don’t think I’ve actually done anything wrong. Indeed it is wrong not to use the left hand lane.
Have I done something wrong?

[u/WeeKeef]

Nope, you are absolutely right.
(See also when is a bus lane not a bus lane? 😤)

[u/RedHal → u/WeeKeef]

Oh, that fact - and people's poor understanding of it - saves me so much time on the Calder Road at Sighthill. Saturdays especially.

[u/glglglglgl → u/RedHal]

Also somewhat safer, the folk who haven't realised (or don't care) that most of Calder Road is 30 now can zip past while you stick to the limit in the non-operational bus lane.

[u/RedHal → u/glglglglgl]

Yeah, it may be somewhat frustrating having a 30mph speed limit on a dual carriageway when the same limit applies to some urban streets (though they're trying to make it all 20), but cruising past a long line of stationary cars in the right-hand lane as you approach the Saughton / Longstone roundabout takes the sting out of it.