It sounds like the cyclist wasn’t actually on the bike path, as he claims, but was in the middle of the street at a place where the bike path intersects with it. There’s a situation like that right behind my local bar, where the bike path crosses the street. I always go real slow there because I’m afraid some cyclist will just blow on through without slowing down or even looking for cars.
That policy is a consequence of cyclists insisting on having the same right to the road as vehicles.
I used to be a year-round cyclist and I’ve always been of the opinion that bicycles should be using side roads and not main roads to get around. It doesn’t take a whole lot longer to use roads that are one block over from main roads.
It’s an act of stupidity to give equal weight to cars and bicyles.