Cows threatening walkers

I said yesterday I would come back about this when I had read some stories on the BBC website. Some of the stories have made me a bit cross but unfortunately the debate is closed and I can't have my say and be heard by hundreds or thousands of people instead of a few that I can count on the fingers of one hand (faithful and much appreciated few though they may be!) but at least I feel that some of the comments on there adequately reflect my own views. So it's not just me.
It's just not true that they will only approach you if you have a dog. There were lots and lots of stories from people who were not accompanied by dogs and the cattle did not include calves or bullocks.
There was one comment saying that it's just townies who experience those problems because they don't know how to react to animals. That served no purpose at all.
One person implied that it was the walkers' fault for not reading warning signs. When have I ever seen any warning sign about cattle in a field? Not often. And anyway, what good is it if you're halfway round a long walk with no road in sight?
Another person said that cattle are not being threatening; they are just being curious. I'm sure that is true, but because of their size and capability of causing injury and death (there were plenty of examples), I think the state of mind and intentions of the animals are rather irrelevant.
The hitters with sticks are braver than me. If there are a lot of them, and you hit the nearest, likely as not they will turn and run but I've seen them kick out as they turn. I can't see them turning on a sixpence so tidily as not to unintentionally knock you over and unintentionally stand on you.
Well, I am a country person, able to easily strike up a rapport with animals generally (even dogs which I don't really like) but I have had too many frightening experiences with cows crowding in on me and building up speed. I won't go near cattle any more. If I see them in a field I'm in, I keep to the edge. If they start to approach, I climb into the next cattle-free field I can see and continue walking. If the boundary is an impenetratable hedge I'll go back the way I came and find another route, even if that means trespassing. If you are faced with an obstruction on a public right of way, you can quite legitimately use the nearest reasonable route and that's what I will invoke if challenged by any landowner.
Unlike some, I don't think it's reasonable to expect farmers not to put cattle in fileds where there are public rights of way or to out notices up at every gate into a cattle field. People should be vigilant, although you can be in a situation when you don't realise they are there until you are a long way from the field boundary.
I do agree that horses, pigs and sheep can pose just as big threats, particularly horses and I would act with them in the same way as I do with cattle.
I am so glad this came up on the news as I feel vindicated. I know there are people who would like to change my perception and the way I deal with it but it's my experience that speaks. I would never say that cattle are dangerous per se but they do pose great risks to people and I think people should be made much more aware of those huge dangers.