When I first came to Japan one of the most annoying things I found was that while walking on the streets I had to evade bicycles. Yes!, bicycles in Japan can ride in the sidewalks. Then I got a bike and did the same as them, go by the sidewalks and ring the bell when too many people was blocking my way. It works really well, you ring the bell and they just move to one side automatically.
At his video you can see a smart guy that is walking and using a bike bell when the sidewalk is too crowded.
