I'd call their reaction strange and rude. But, they did make a memorable impression. You won't soon be forgetting that pair.

Reminds me of an encounter in Florida with another touring cyclist. He refused my attempts to have a short conversation about our adventures, the sort I've had with a number of others I've met on tour. Strange, rude, and memorable.

As for excepting routing advice from strangers, only if the adviser was a cyclist would I be inclined to trust the advice. Did they know you were a cyclist?