"T i m" wrote in message
...
If cyclists are approaching from behind we like (expect?) some form of
early warning (and if we get one we do as above) or if not, expect
the cyclist to slow down to whatever speed would be considered safe to
pass us and the dogs without issue.

I was once cycling on a disused railway which has been converted into a
footpath and cycle track. I could see a group walking across the whole width
of the track, with a dog on a lead. I slowed down as I approached them and
saw one of them look round, presumably at the ticking of the freewheel. They
then carried on without moving aside. So I dismounted, aiming to walk past
them and carry on. They got very shirty with me, and for a while wouldn't
move aside to let me *wheel* the bike past them. When they eventually moved
over, very reluctantly and with a "some people!" comment, I got past and
remounted, only to have the dog (which had been on a lead) nearly run into
the spokes of my front wheel: I can only assume they let it off deliberately
as a parting gesture.

I had a friend who took offence at cyclists using a cycle track, and berated
me for moving aside to let one coming in the opposite direction get past us,
even though he'd slowed right down. "You should have made it as difficult as
possible for him - pedestrians have right of way".

Those two incidents suggest that even when cyclists bend over backwards to
be pedestrian friendly, a small minority of pedestrians try to be
bloody-minded and awkward.

Of course a lot of cyclists *don't* slow down, so maybe they spoil it for
the minority who are well-behaved.