. Like Blink 182 
O lawd, I see that A LOT, and I absolutely hate it. You spend a long time climbing hoping to enjoy the solitude, the wind, and the silence, and then some Marmaduke comes out of nowhere with some (invariably) shitty music playing on loudspeakers. As someone said, music is the only art form that can be aggressive.Lately I’ve seen, and heard, the occasional wireless speaker dangling from a hikers backpack. These aren’t as bad as the earbuds but you can hear the music from a distance.
I just wish they’d play something I like
and in the main, they apologise. I usually say not to worry they have priority over me anyway, and generally all is well. Horses if approaching from the front, I stop and ask if it's ok to pass as I'm used to horses having been around my daughter's horses for some time, so I know that they can be skittish. If approaching from behind, I slow up and get the riders attention to check whether I can pass.
I normally speak to people walking as I approach slowly (walking pace) and indicate which side I intend to pass them. Most of the time they step to the side I said I would pass
I stopped using a bell as a lot of people, including those on horseback have earbuds in.
It's the cyclists who think they are on the tour de France that annoy me, that insist on not slowing down on their approach and scare the hell out of those that are walking or riding. On some of the trails notices have been placed to request that these people observe who is on the shared trail and slow down. The countryside act in the UK spells all this out./QUOTE]
A bit of a problem given this:
Literacy in the Workplace: How Literate Are Your Employees?
Literacy in the Workplace: Are You Aware of How Literate Your Employees Are? Are any of your employees ‘Functionally Illiterate’ or operating above this measure? Analyse literacy in the workplace and find a solution for your employees.www.ascento.co.uk
I normally speak to people walking as I approach slowly (walking pace) and indicate which side I intend to pass them. Most of the time they step to the side I said I would pass
I stopped using a bell as a lot of people, including those on horseback have earbuds in.
It's the cyclists who think they are on the tour de France that annoy me, that insist on not slowing down on their approach and scare the hell out of those that are walking or riding. On some of the trails notices have been placed to request that these people observe who is on the shared trail and slow down. The countryside act in the UK spells all this out.
www.ascento.co.uk
I just assume that everyone is clinically deaf. I ride according to that assumption and therefore it's felt a bonus if they actually hear me. I've used this method from when I started riding in my teens and carried it through motorbikes up to this day. I've yet to collide with anyone or had to take evasive action/lost control because of someone not hearing me.
So would you take offence to someone that was deaf being on your multi-use paths?
My hearing is bad, according to my wife, but if I was hiking I would resort to one of my other senses …smell.
Yep, electrical burning and Unicorn tears!.................
Emtb’ers have a unique odour.
I understand your question and the implied criticism of @Kevjob51
I’m not at the hearing aid point yet but I have been startled a few times in the forests. My wife is starting to give me that look. Whatever that means?I understand your question and the implied criticism of @Kevjob51
But as @Stihldog has referred to, walkers/riders with hearing impairment just might not have heard the rider/runner coming up behind them. They don't have to be deaf (as in totally deaf), just not 100%. My problem is the high frequency stuff like bells, telephone shrills, whistles and sadly for my wife and daughters, pretty much half of what women say!
I have hearing aids and I wear them all my waking hours, except when riding my bike on the trails. They are just too expensive to lose. So I miss out on hearing the birds in the forest.
…when I ignore her. 
So it's time for a hearing test ... your wife is 'medical' so if she can't do one she's certain to know someone who can.
no I would not as they do not have a choice earbuds people do. Now I know I would have no idea they are deaf till I interacted with them.
Ditto.
For many years I too thought I was not at the hearing aid point yet. I had an emotional prejudice against hearing aids based upon childhood experiences with deaf kids. That big pink hearing aid in their shirt pocket with two curly cables going into large plugs in their ears. I shudder at the memory. Worse than my childish and irrational prejudice was that the kids were all very deaf from birth and struggled to speak, so I also thought in my childish way that they were stupid. Yes, I know AWFUL of me, but I was a child. Anyway, hearing tech rapidly progressed and very soon the pink hearing aids and curly cables disappeared. But sadly, not from my psyche. Consequently, I had a morbid dread of "having" to wear hearing aids.I’m not at the hearing aid point yet but I have been startled a few times in the forests. My wife is starting to give me that look. Whatever that means?
My hearing was affected by a work incident and very slowly got worse from then on. More than 20 years later I could not hold a conversation in a busy pub. In 2022, I went to Specsavers in the UK (an optician that also does hearing). The young man that dealt with me and did the hearing test was perfectly pleasant and had obviously been trained to sell. But he had not been trained enough to be able to answer my questions with any conviction. I was not prepared to shell out a load of dosh when I had no clear idea why the aid that cost 2x was better than the one that cost 1x. So I withdrew from the process.
J*****. Some of this stuff is starting to sound (no pun intended) familiar. I gave a brief explanation to @irie also, but with some detail and probably some excuses.For many years I too thought I was not at the hearing aid point yet. I had an emotional prejudice against hearing aids based upon childhood experiences with deaf kids. That big pink hearing aid in their shirt pocket with two curly cables going into large plugs in their ears. I shudder at the memory. Worse than my childish and irrational prejudice was that the kids were all very deaf from birth and struggled to speak, so I also thought in my childish way that they were stupid. Yes, I know AWFUL of me, but I was a child. Anyway, hearing tech rapidly progressed and very soon the pink hearing aids and curly cables disappeared. But sadly, not from my psyche. Consequently, I had a morbid dread of "having" to wear hearing aids.
The following year was my Golden Wedding anniversary and it was a big piss up in the Village Hall, with a singer, music and a load of Caribbean food. I made a point of going round all the tables at least twice and talking to everyone (or trying to!) I found it impossible to conduct a sensible conversation with anyone; I just could not hear them clearly enough. I made an appointment at Boots hearing care as soon as possible. The audiologist there was a totally different type of person. She was fully trained and had zero difficulty in answering any of my questions. Even better she opened up my mind to other stuff that I hadn't considered. By the end of the first session, I was sold and bought their top of the range behind-the-ear hearing aids and I do not regret it one tiny little bit.
My first outing was to the pub with two mates. With one sat opposite me and one to my right, both within 3 feet, I asked them what was different about me. Bearing in mind that I have very short hair, there was no hair there to cover over the aids. Neither could see anything. When I told them and pointed them out and they got closer they were both amazed. That totally blew out of the water my childhood fear of being "different". In fact, I had already been treated differently without realising it, because previously I was the guy with the hearing problem. Now I'm not!
@Stihldog I believe that you have been operating chainsaws for years. Even if you religiously wore ear defenders, your hearing will have suffered some damage. Take your cue from your family and friends. If they say you have hearing problem then believe them and do something about it. Hearing difficulty is isolating. In the UK it has clearly been associated with an increased risk of Dementia. I can now hear birds in the forest, gentle rain, take part in conversations easily, and other good stuff. The only downside is that I no longer do silent farts!
Only one way to find out. Simple as.J*****. Some of this stuff is starting to sound (no pun intended) familiar. I gave a brief explanation to @irie also, but with some detail and probably some excuses.
I’m one to cross one bridge at a time …but this might be the bridge I need too cross right now. In the past year the ringing and buzzing and confusing conversations have slowly increased.
SH*T, maybe there’s some denial here
Any update on this? Looking to try out a bell but don't know it I want to invest 30 bucks for a shelf item if I don't like it.
The bell has been working fine. It's the "older" model that attaches to your handlebars (35mm) with a rubber band, but it's been working fine so far. It's actually very loud and has a sound that "lingers". I deadened it a bit by wrapping electrician's tape around the bell one (outside). This made it work well.
When I used the Timber bell, I would find myself bouncing the forks up and down as I approached people if it were smooth ground!
