I only don't ring if it's just one person, or two people very close together, walking in a straight line. If there are children or pets, or a group of people, I ring the bell.

I don't like cycle lanes on pavements anyway (don't think Basel has any; but I use the ones going into St Louis, France) as I prefer to be on the road as I can usually go faster.

and if for whatever reason you do startle them, depending on which side they turned to notice the biker, sometimes, they jump into the side you wish to pass on--then starts the 'duel' when both parties constantly move to the same side.

Agreed. I've been giving a "hello" ding from a decent distance unless the situation seems predictable, which, of course, is completely unscientific. But the pedestrians' varied responses to the bell got me wondering what exactly it means here... In Boston we just yelled at each other.

Same in California. It was a (usually) friendly shout of "on your left!".

Genau! "On your left" is much more helpful than an ambiguous ding.

Until I get run over trying to remember which one is left again.

I give a small 'ding' from a distance if there's room for me to go round people so that they're aware...otherwise I do find people scatter and can jump in front of your bike because they get scared by the bell....If there's not much room for me to go round them, I slow down and slip past before they get a chance to wonder what's happening and get in the way.

If I've pinged and I can't get past and they're still not moving I have another big bell that makes a loud, long 'brrringdingalingalinga' noise - normally does the trick....

In my experience in Germany a bell meant "%$%& off," and was often accompanied with a scowl.

Therefore I hate using the bell because it makes me feel I should be angrier than I am. I do throw an occasional "an der linken Seite" if a pedestrian is taking up too much real estate. Though this morning a pedestrian (drunk?) was weaving left and right in the bike lane, and I just past by..perhaps startling him...perhaps.

I usually give a little 'ding' too but I rather fancy the three tone horn of the post cars instead of your 'brrringdingalingalinga' back-up bell.
You know the type - dee, daa, doo

Now that would be useful!