I was out on the trail the other day and came up behind an elderly gentleman walking his dog. I slowed down and let him know I was behind him and wanted to pass on the left. Much to my surprise he literally "jumped" off the trail dragging his poor little dog with him. I've never seen someone move so fast and was surprised he didn't fall and hurt himself. I told him I would have waited for him to let me by (that's why I let him know I was coming up behind) and he didn't need to move so quickly. He thanked me and said most of the riders he encounters just whip by without giving him any warning at all. As I apologized for the rudeness of the other riders, it made me a bit angry that some riders would be so inconsiderate. I’d rather try and make a positive impression than a negative since the same pedestrians probably drive and don't differentiate between the cyclists they see on the road. I'll never win in a car encounter even if I'm in the right.