It's
very common on the Milton Keynes Redways.
On blind left hand bends, I usually take the racing line so that I can see further around the bend. When I have an oncoming cyclist on the wrong side, I don't immediately move to the right, what if they do the same? I stay to the left and see if they move for a second or two. I look at their body language and see if I think they are paying attention. If not, then I'll go right, if they are, I'll stay put, even move more to the left and slow down if I have to. If they're stubborn, then I'll go right. If I wanted to "educate" them, I'd stop, but I'm just trying to get by.
Pedestrians added to the mix complicate things a lot more. It really doesn't help that the Redway Code tells pedestrians to walk on the right (allthough they tend to walk wherever they like mostly) But with pedestrains on their right coming towards me and me on the left, as per Redway Code, add an oncoming cyclist on their left, then I'm heading straight towards the pedestrians and a cyclist. I slow down and keep left. The cyclist will get to me first. But the pedestrians don't know about the cyclist behind them, they see a cyclist heading towards them with no intention to move over, keeping to the side that they are on. So they step to their left and have a close call with the cyclist behind them. I always slow down so that the cyclist will pass them, then \I can move over to pass the pedestians, but the pedestrians don't know my plan, they just see me coming towards them.
When I'm approaching pedestrians from their rear and have an oncoming cyclist, I slow down and go behind the pedestrians, whichever side they are on and stay in line behind them if they move to one side and keep quiet so they don't know I'm there and they don't forget about the oncoming cyclist and try to dodge me and end up into the path of the oncoming cyclist. Otherwise, they sometimes look behind, see me and scatter or just jump around if it's just one.
Those are the most common scenarios I encounter on the redways, there are lots of others so having people just do what they like is a nice idea, but a bit daft and makes things a lot more complicated than it needs to be for everyone.
My daily commute is sometimes like a comedy video game. I have small kids on foot with their mums, on bikes, sometimes riding in circles or just weaving among their friends on foot going to school and kids on scooters. Kids running around, playing games and generally being kids.
I just have to go extra slow for a bit. Gives me a bit of a laugh some days though, better than stopping at the busy road junction I'd have to use and wait for a gap in the busy traffic to turn right.
I think that most people think of cyclepaths as being the same as footpaths, where there are no rules about what side you cycle on. There are Redway guides with a set of rules on them and a map of the Redways, but I doubt that many people even konw that these guides exist let alone that theare are a set of rules. I usualy snatch a load of guides when I see them and give them to people I think would like one. They certainly don't seem to be common knowledge.
I'd only "educate" kids if I thought they were dangerous to themselves or other kids by riding fast and annoying people. I'd catch with up them and tell them where they can do some proper racing/touring/mountain biking or whatever, tell them what I do and ask them to be a bit carefull around others, just like I do. Never felt the need yet though.