Etiquette On The Cascade Lake Trail

We have a great trail system in southeast Minnesota, and my wife and I are lucky enough to live near the Cascade Lake Trail in northwest Rochester. I use it quite a bit while I'm riding my bike or sometimes when I'm out for a run. But is saying, "on your left..." when you're about to pass someone still the proper etiquette?

When you're on your bike, saying "on your left" before you pass someone is a general courtesy, to let unsuspecting walkers and joggers know you're about to overtake them. Seeing as bikes are generally quiet, it's easy to sneak up on someone and then startle them when you blow by on the bike. So I get the reason behind it.

But my question is, do people still hear you when you say it these days? Just about everyone I've encountered on the trail has their iPod with them and their ear bud headphones on. Those headphones, of course, even when you don't have them turned up very loud, tend to block out most of the ambient noise around you. So even when I say, "On your left!" I'm not sure people even hear me anymore.

It's not fun to have someone take you by surprise and blow by you on the bike. I've had it happen to me when I've been out of the trail running a few miles. And, I remember back about 20 years ago or so, right after I bought my first mountain bike, and I was riding through the streets near my parent's house back in Wisconsin. Being that I was on one of these then-new fangled, much lighter bikes (compared to the old-school ones I had when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's), it allowed me to ride fairly fast. I came upon my grade school guidance counselor, who was jogging along the side of the road. As I whizzed past him, I startled him so much that he yelled out, "Say something, please!!"

Ever since then, I've always tried to announce my 'arrival' to fellow trail users. But I'm wondering if anyone still hears me. And worse yet, I fear that someone who's had their headphones on and didn't hear me say something might think I didn't say anything, when really I did. Perhaps I have a little too much spare time to think about these things. Have you run into this situation if you've been out on the trails?