I don't really have a problem with bells or horns, I just find them pointless. They don't really provide any information of value beyond "hey, there's a bike somewhere around here" which I probably already knew. Either they do nothing or they cause the one thing that I would think you don't want caused: an unpredictable change in movement by the pedestrian.
I don't really need bikes to announce themselves any more than I need cars to honk their horns as they approach me if I'm walking on the side of the road. They just need to not hit me, and not skim past me so close that I fear a poorly times stray movement on my part would have caused them to hit me. And if that can't be done without honking me into moving out of your way then tough titty, you'll have to slow down and wait until conditions permit you to do so. To meet halfway, I promise not to walk down the street or bike path in a random zigzag full of sudden changes in speed.
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