Quote Originally Posted by Geonz View Post
... and you'd have been a bit further from the ladies' startle range.
That's the key with pedestrians, other bikers, etc, who share our space. For some reason I've yet to figure out, people are either wrapped up or unaware and become convinced that they're the only person around. Then they end up being surprised when you remind them that they're not. You have to let them know you're there at enough of a distance that they've got time to process your presence and decide what to do. That's probably why you've gotten the reaction you have with your bell. And, if they ignore the bell, a good, loud "HEY YOU!" can work pretty well, too