To not know how to not piss people off

[KatnissMellark]

When I go past them running? Several incidents now where I've 'surprised' people and they've looked quite cross...tend to run on canals/off road tracks/in country parks etc and I've tried a few tactics- shout 'runner coming behind you' or 'excuse me please' when about 15 metres away so I'm not on top of them when they realise I'm there, slow to a power walk about 3-4 metres behind them and speed up again once past them or to just run by without saying anything. Invariably they are shocked and a little bit cross, I always say a friendly hello and 'I hope didn't scare you' and usually get a scowl or sarcastic remark back . Not sure what else to do

What would you prefer if you were the walker?

When I’m walking my dog I have earphones in, listening to a book because it helps fend off panic attacks. When I’m annoyed at runners it’ll be because they want me and my dog to go into the road so they can dominate the pavement, or because there’s endless groups of them every 2 minutes. If someone tried to alert me to their presence I’d think they were polite and considerate (but probably still jump out of my skin)

@Polestar50 - how about shouting "dog is ahead"? That's relatively quick and would be enough.

I have a related issue that I forgot to mention, which is faster people/bikes passing on the left or slow walkers moving to the right. It's like they've never met a road. I know for Europeans and Americans that's their normal traffic direction back home, but surely anybody will get used to looking in the correct direction within a couple of days, so why don't they move the right way? If it wasn't annoying it'd be comical when you pass 10 people who each move left, then that random one who's dotting all over the road and settles on moving right (or very annoying when they're with random friends who just end up scattered all over the path so there's no route through at all).

I cough.

I have seriously considered attaching a bike bell to my wrist. Maybe I need a cow bell. Or one of those tinkly cat collars. Or a light projector thing out the front like the Santander bikes have in London.

I think of be a bit cross if it was a canal path too (I can't swim) and if a runner came up behind me and startled me what's to stop me tripping and falling in...can't you slow to a power walk and once safely past you can start back up running again ?

I just Cough very loudly when I need to pass someone when running. I like the idea of carrying a bike bell
I've never pissed people off, I don't think anyway.

I've made plenty jump but I just apologise.