Originally Posted by
southpawboston
I never get that response. I find that most pedestrians get startled and/or annoyed when I ding my bell. I now only use my bell when a driver tries something stupid. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong? Maybe I need to take a course on bell ringing.
As other's have already chimed in, I ring it well in advance. First I start with a single "ding" & mostly they either turn & look or automatically move over a little. If, not, then I ding a couple more times, but well in advance. As I pass I always politely say, "Thank you". I want pedestrians to have had a pleasant experience with a cyclist (me). That way, hopefully, in the future their experiences with bikes will be good ones.