Based on the "elderly" description, I'm guessing some sort of dementia.

This reminded me of my maternal grandmother. In the 1960s she drove as if she were the only car in Chicagoland. Later in the 1970's she moved to Manhattan an we all breathed a sigh of relief since she would no longer be driving. However on my first visit she said "Dear, there's something I want to show you across the street" and just stepped into the rush of traffic mid block without looking. She continued to do this and lived to 97.

I used to have some cantilevers that would squeal really loudly. I used to use my brakes as a horn. One time, I was riding through a tunnel on the bike path and there were pedestrians blocking my way. I used the brake horn, and one of them jumped about 6 inches vertically. The things you see when the video isn't rolling.

Usually there is some hint when a ped is going to cross the street, but I guess you can't count on it. The people advising to hit the pedestrian have to recognize that it could easily be fatal, especially with the elderly. Not only from the initial collision, but if an elderly person breaks their hip, their life expectancy is about a month.

I'm reading the book Just Ride by Grant Petersen. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. One fun tip is to hang jingle bells on your bike. As you pass over bumps, your bike will jingle passively in a friendly tone. When you need to say something actively, you give them a jolt with your hand.

My father-in-law has always done this with his mountain bike, and I thought it was just ridiculously annoying (jinglejinglejinglejingle!) until I started riding MTB myself and discovered the joy of multi-use trails in the back country. You will encounter hikers and dog-walkers in the literal middle of nowhere, typically just around a blind corner on an exposed descent in the sheeting rain, and you will not have a hand free to be ringing any handlebar-mounted dinger you might possess. Attach a bear bell to the stem and they've heard you coming for the last kilometer. I don't know if I could stand the continuous kajingling for a full hour on the commute, but it is a thought worth considering.

The trick is to get bells that sound good in their passive-ringing mode. I'd have to believe this is possible.

This almost makes me wish I had not fixed my squeaky cantis on my MTB. They were truly embarrassing though ....

I also am amused by the mental picture of a 6'2" person jumping 6 inches in a 6'7" tunnel. I would truly want to see video of that. I think I am off to youtube next ...

I also like noglider's second hand suggestion of jingle bells, or maybe bear bells on the bike. Nice thing about bear bells is that they come with a magnet you could use to turn them "off" when they are not needed.

I also think that the description in the OP suggests some level of incapacity. I think it true that if we are to have a civil society we do need to make space for persons of reduced capacity. This means that we each need to take some measure of responsibility for those not capable of acting responsibly.

... I think there is just no way to be prepared for all the varied bits of the mosaic of the human conditions. The lady in question ... was she operating in some sort of reduced mental capacity, like dementia ... or some sort of physical incapacity, like deafness ... or was she simply distracted by an argument with her walking partner?

I know I just posted that in a civil society we each need to take some measure of responsibility for the incapacity of others. I do stand by that, but it is also true that one cannot reasonably foresee ALL potential human originated hazards, any more than one could predict a bear in the bushes. There is some risk that one must take in going out of one's front door.

In the original post, you indicate that you take responsibility for yourself in the world. I am very glad that the outcome was as it was. Be thankful, and re-examine the event in your memory once the shock of the event is settled and see if there is anything to learn. For example; would it have been possible to avoid her by swerving towards the curb to go behind her instead of in front of her?

If nothing else - remember this couple and remember that she may be an unpredictable hazard.

And keep on rolling ...

when I visit my elderly parents and run errands with them I often lecture them, especially my Mom about crossing at the crosswalk and waiting for the pedestrian signal. they are in their own little world

Well, as ive stated many times here before, i ride like everyone/everything is out to get me, that way i'm more prepared mentally for "evasive maneuvers". :D

- Andy

Yes. Much better to be pleasantly surprise that no one was out to get you, than nastily surprised that someone was.

+++ That is my modus operandi as well. I assume they are all trying to hit me!