Originally Posted by franklen
Oh I use yelling too. Thing is I don't always ride with a whistle at the ready in my mouth. I put it there when I know I am coming up to busy intersections, or places of concern. So otherwise, if someone or thing surprises me I braek out the vocal cords.
All in all though the whistle is many time louder than a yell, and it won't get lost as easily in the throng of noises on the street. People respond to a whistle immediately I think because they associate it with the authorities. Which is probably why it is illegal in some places.
I used a whistle for many years. I got the idea because a school bus brushed past me one morning and though I yelled as loud as I could muster, I could hardly get the driver's attention. I kept a whistle in my teeth at all times, to the point that I never noticed it was there. It was an extremely fast way of alerting a motorist and it penetrated their sound-resistant barriers. I'd still use it if I didn't have a 12V car horn. Just make sure your whistle has a rubber sleeve, and that you wash it everyday.