Why not use a bike bell instead? Also, why do pedestrians need to notice you?
Pedestrians need to notice me because a lot of people walk on bike paths and because a lot of people jaywalk. Since I'm much closer to the parked cars and much smaller than cars they're going to realize there's no cars, think it's all clear, and when they advance I'll be there. It happened to me often.
It's not loud enough that people on the sidewalk will hear me clearly - in traffic I often can't even distinguish my own music - but people that are on my way or about to walk in front of me will notice and that's good enough.
Also in my city when there's an underpass the law is to go on the sidewalk, so I like to be noticed by pedestrians so they know I'm here without ringing my bike bell non-stop or speaking to everyone and trying to get them to notice me.
I wonder if there’s some happy medium - some noise that the bike could make periodically that’s less annoying than blaring music, but also doesn’t require you to actively initiate it.
With a bike travelling at say ~10mph the noise is out of earshot in a few seconds.
It is on you to ride defensively and make sure you are on an appropriate speed to avoid accidents with pedestrians, not on them to avoid you.
> when there's an underpass the law is to go on the sidewalk
So, get off the bike and walk.
>So, get off the bike and walk
I am not supposed to and I frankly just don't have the time to walk every time there is an underpass, and there are 6 on the way to my university.
I think I'm very different from those car drivers because I'm not endangering or pushing away anyone, or being aggressive.
I haven't made any judgments of value, mind you. I'm just saying that this is the only way I have of averting this issue.