To use the bus lane in between operational times

[amiwrong2021]

Lots of bus lanes where I live open for cars to use 10am - 4pm and after 7pm

I have been driving during the day quite a lot recently and notice when I'm using the left lane / bus lane other drivers seem to get angry and pull into my path as they are in a queue of traffic or refuse to merge and end up driving on the wrong side of the road to try and get in front (when I see this I do back off so they can fit it, I'm not bothered about being one car in front and would prefer to keep me and my child safe!)

Sometimes I do feel guilty about driving past the big queue in the right hand lane but I know left hand land is the standard driving position so if the bus lane is open for use there's no reason to not use it!!

What do you people think?

Yabu - you are a CF! get behind the line of traffic in the right lane even when the bus lane is open for use

Yanbu - ignore people who are angry you're using the correct lane and they are not

Thanks guys

You should use the bus lane. If they have a problem they should use the bus lane. When I learned to drive my driving instructor warned me if I didn't use the bus lane if it was available it would be marked as a fault in the test.

This is a common problem and I sympathise with both sides. If I'm driving and it's not busy, I tend to avoid the bus lane even when it's not in operation as it's less mentally taxing than trying to work out if it is in action or not. But then, as you say, you need to be prepared for people to actually use it if they're legally allowed to. A little forgiveness and consideration goes a long way on the road, so I think YANBU and while I get the frustration of those other drivers, it's not going to benefit them.. they can just start to use it too!

I had a similar "follow the herd" incident at the entrance to Center Parcs once. They had two lanes going in which merge to one and everyone was sat queued in the left lane. So I went all the way down the right and merged in. It's what the signs explicitly said to do but I saved a good 10 minutes despite people getting mad.

Thank you both!! I was doubting myself as it's been happening a lot recently and I do just think use the bus lane if it's open and it annoys you other people are using it!

Of course use the bus lane when allowed the others drivers are wrong . Road near me similar a car just pulled in front of me because he assumed wrongly that nobody in that lane as was a bus lane and pulled in front of me when bus lane ended and I was driving along as was allowed.
People can’t follow signs anymore because they think it’s a bus lane 24/7 and will get a fine . If they were on a driving test then would get marked down for that .

We drive on the left in the UK, why wouldn’t you use the left lane when available 🤷🏻‍♀️

Too many ‘experienced drivers’ don’t actually know how to drive.

Yanbu. It’s the same logic as ‘use both lanes while queueing’. People read it as a queue jump but actually it’s a more efficient way of preventing tailbacks.

Yanbu.

I've just had a £60 fine for driving in a bus lane so I wouldn't do this again.

Of course YANBU. People are sheep. Don’t follow sheep.

Of course YANBU if they aren’t operational 24/7. @HollowTalk, there are normally signs up at the start of both 24/7 and part-time bus lanes to tell you when they are operational, so you shouldn’t be scared of using the part-time ones at the non-operational times...

Yeah, of course use them. If people are too stupid to read the signs and want to wait in a queue pointlessly, that's their lookout.

I tend to avoid the out-of-hours bus lanes for the simple reason that few car drivers locally use them, but often there are parked cars (sometimes hidden round bends) so then I have to keep pulling out into the busier right hand lane to get past the parked cars. Otherwise YANBU.

@TheOneWithTwoParties

You should use the bus lane. If they have a problem they should use the bus lane. When I learned to drive my driving instructor warned me if I didn't use the bus lane if it was available it would be marked as a fault in the test.

This. If a bus Lane can be used then it should be. Most people avoid them because they can’t read/understand the times on them.

I had this once. Driver beeped his horn at me when I used the bus lane after 10am when I was perfectly entitled to do so. It's a tourist city, so we have a large number of visitors who don't know the roads. They obviously can't read either.

I'm sure lots of other drivers think the same as that one, but don't go so far as to signal their disapproval.

It really annoyed me as I felt like I wanted to justify myself and couldn't.

People are odd though. I always use the bus lane if I can, my husband knows that you can, but rarely does. I don't get it, but there you go.

People can’t follow signs anymore because they think it’s a bus lane 24/7 and will get a fine

You're not entirely wrong, but at the same there is a bus lane in a town near me where it's something like this under the sign:

"Mon-Sat
07.30-09.45
16.00-17.45"

And at 40mph, I have to look at the clock in my car, then remember what those times were and calculate if it's within the time zone or not, then mirror signal, etc.. so if the traffic is not heavy and there are no queues, I am not going to bother and will just avoid the lane.

@HollowTalk

I've just had a £60 fine for driving in a bus lane so I wouldn't do this again.

Maybe just read the signs .

Thanks everyone, it nice to know it's not some unwritten rule I'm missing!

I'll keep using the bus lane and keep my eye out for anyone doing some hasty manoeuvres to 'stop' me!!

I use the bus lane if it’s not operational. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t to be honest.

I got a fault on my driving test for not using the bus Lane. The sign with the operational times when you enter the road had been hit by a car and bent over so you couldn’t see it and I decided to play it safe, once we passed the next sign I read it and moved over into the lane but it was too late. Still feel bitter about that!

Too many bus lanes have differing times they can be used causing confusion so many drivers keep out of them

@Allthesefolks

I got a fault on my driving test for not using the bus Lane. The sign with the operational times when you enter the road had been hit by a car and bent over so you couldn’t see it and I decided to play it safe, once we passed the next sign I read it and moved over into the lane but it was too late. Still feel bitter about that!

Same here! My very grumpy examiner barked "you must use the bus lane if it's not restricted times" or something along those lines. Wasn't a good start and didn't get any better- especially when I didnt give way at a roundabout etc etc. My next examiner was much nicer!

I've never forgotten the rule though.

@campion same, it really put me off and then I ended up braking too late at some lights and failing. It wasn’t my fault the sign wasn’t visible and no other bugger was using the bus lane!

I retook it the next week and they took me the same route but this time I knew better

Most bus lanes round here are promptly filled with parked cars or indeed buses out of restricted hours. I tend to stick to the open road. It's rarely busy in the middle of the day.

Always use them when not operational. Not sure why you wouldn’t