I do not care about any abbreviation except for VC. Anything VC says must be obeyed, unless we are in the situation when following VC may cause an accident. VC strictly regulates lane positioning, BL usage, merging etc. If one is not familiar with VC it is absolute must to go and learn it before entering the road. Just in case if anyone missed it:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm