Originally Posted by
Yo Spiff
I had a conversation with an occasional riding friend a while back. She suggested using a bell instead of calling out "Passing on your left", because it is a friendlier sound and not so aggressive to pedestrians.
So I tried one. My experience on a busy MUP was that few if any even noticed the bell. I think it was just part of the background noise and people were oblivious to it, not realizing it was directed at them. When I call out to them, however, I usually see something to indicate my warning registered. They give me a wave, move to the right a little, or sometimes even give me a thanks for not blowing past them without warning.
Just wondering what others experiences have been with bells. Any more success than I've seen?
Don't expect people to always turn around and make some sort of acknowledgement - unless you consider yourself a king or queen. People hear the bell and it lets them know you are coming up, so they don't get a fright or make a sudden move. I would only expect them to give acknowledgement in rare circumstances, e.g. where they were blocking the path.