On my ride I was reminded of yet another hazard of hugging the right. I was passing a rider who was hugging the right. With minimum speed disparity as usual. He was wearing headphones. I got a little closer than normal before announcing "I am easing around your left." It startled him. He veered slightly and his front wheel dropped off the asphalt. Another 2 feet to the right and he was going down the levee embankment. He tried to get back up on the asphalt, but his front wheel was washing out on the edge. He saved it, but there were a couple times he almost ate it.
