The near miss
You are walking along, thinking about groceries or the dog, when a bike passes close enough to move your coat. No warning. The rider is gone before you can decide whether anything happened, which is convenient for the rider.
A fair question
Why do you hate cyclists?
Cycling is a fine idea in the same way a leaf blower is a fine idea if nobody points it at your face at 5:00 a.m. Streets with fewer cars are obviously better streets. No one wants to see trucks either. And people moving under their own power should be encouraged, within reason, and preferably away from toddlers and wildlife.
The complaint is narrower. On paths meant for walking, a fast bicycle can pass close enough to startle a child, a dog, or an adult who had assumed the space behind an elbow was temporarily unoccupied. The bell may help, provided it arrives soon enough to mean something.
HONK from the path.
Notes from the path
The sidewalk problem
Sidewalks are for walking. Yet the sidewalk often becomes the overflow lane for cyclists who dislike traffic and also dislike dismounting. Honk.
The bike path problem
A bike path should solve the problem. Paint, bollards, signs, and a ribbon-cutting ought to help. Then the shared path becomes a time trial, and families, seniors, toddlers, and people carrying coffee become obstacles in someone else's workout.
The bell problem
The bicycle bell could help. Too often it comes after the startle, or from so far away that nobody knows what the sound is asking for. Sometimes the bell means hello. Sometimes it means die.
The rule problem
The applicable rule sometimes changes with the setting. A bicycle is a vehicle in the lane, pedestrian traffic at the crossing, and sporting equipment on the path. This is administratively efficient. Nobody should qualify for every category at once, except perhaps a goose.
The car problem
Cars deserve much of the blame. They are heavy, loud, and dangerous. Safer streets and protected cycling routes are sensible. None of this makes a bicycle harmless on a crowded walking path.
Cyclists also drive cars. The categories are less stable than public arguments about transportation sometimes suggest. A person can be careful in one vehicle and discourteous in another.