@Morningsider @smudge I used to enjoy that as well, but as I become older and more laidback I find it less appealing.
And perhaps I'm being completely unrealistic; as @LaidBack says, all road users experience the frustration of other road users not following the rules.
I do think the big issue here is expectations. In my particular case, I had just enjoyed, actually enjoyed, a pretty quiet ride up from Portobello, through Duddingston, past the Loch, along the Meadows, until then BANG out on to Forrest Road. I was really relaxed and energised by the first part of the ride, feeling it was really setting me up for the day - some exercise, mental relaxation, contact with nature(ish). But all those benefits were blasted away on that last leg along Forrest Road, G IV B, and the Mound.
If I'd consciously set off in the assertive-rider frame of mind, and been ready to enjoy the dance-with-the-metalboxes, I'd perhaps arrived exhilarated rather than angry and frustrated.
In the bigger picture, I wonder what expectation cycle lanes, ASL's etc create for cyclists? And if this expectation is counterproductive - especially for novice cyclists or at least those attempting to commute by bike for the first time. Here's all this infrastructure saying, in effect, "you can cycle safely here, we've thought of your needs, you're welcome", when the reality is somewhat different.
I think I've been very influenced by presentations I've heard about superb cycling infrastructure in parts of Europe, where, it appears, relaxed, unhassled, commuting, is the norm. And unconsciously I've been feeling that's what Edinburgh is emulating - when in fact, all that's possible at the moment is to make a bad cycling environment slightly less bad. So the root of my frustration is the comparison of reality with Utopia!
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