And yet, strangely, “disk” is not?
That’s like asking, “how can you see anything while driving down a road at 50 mph?” The answer is: you don’t fucking look at the ground directly in front of you constantly.
That’s actually a pretty cool idea. A lot of pedestrians treat the bell like it’s a rude horn-honk, and react to it thus. They can’t help but melt at your high-minded frivolity if you’re squeaking a rubber ducky at them.
Yeah but watch out for the dogs 
Bullshit. Nobody FORCES them. Fuck you and the bikers who think like that.
Geeze. Every park I’ve been in has trail signs all over the place clearly indicating the right-of-way priority (bikes yield to everyone, horses yield to no one, peds yield to horses but not bikes). It’s basic common sense and I guess that I’m lucky enough to never have run someone off a trail, roared by them at high speed, etc. Nor have I been subjected to that behavior.
It’s not hard. When I’m on my bike I look where I’m going, I don’t go rocketing full speed around blind turns, I slow down and call out when I get near people. Before I hit a steep slope I look ahead to see if anyone is coming. If somebody suddenly steps into my way (that is, we didn’t see each other) I stop/slow as safely as possible and yell out to them (as in “Heads up”, not “Get the fuck out of my way”).
Yes there are idiots and rude people out there. They use all modes of transportation.
I’d love to, but I haven’t seen any of that kind of highway around here.
Maybe out in the Grand Tetons? 
You need to stay abreast of the latest paths.
let me rephrase that, then. If they live in a place with no bike-only trails, they have two options:
- Don’t mountain-bike
- Mountain-bike on “multi-purpose” trails.
If you had it your way they would go with #1, even though they have as much right to be biking there as you do walking? Why can’t they tell the hikers to fuck off because they don’t choose to “not hike” when there are no pedestrian-only trails?
I have used my bell, in the US and around the world (my mountain bike crossed the Pacific six times), in cities and on trails. I’ve never had someone take my bell the wrong way.
Reflecting on that, I think that the way I use my bell is the key. I slow down as soon as I see the person, and ring my bell. That way I don’t startle or threaten them by ringing when I’m right on top of them. It registers as a distant sound, they have time to respond.
When they look around or up or down and see me, I smile. Wave. We’re people sharing the planet. I go around, or stop and let them pass, whatever.
My bike was my only wheels for two years in big cities (Oakland, CA and Honolulu, HI), and even there, the issue is courtesy and respect.
If you give it, you get it.
w.
Not so much since dictionary.com says “disk” and “disc” mean the same thing with regard to brakes.