It's a common case of mistaken identity. Just because you happen to look like some sort of bee you must endure a swat or a frantic scream.
Hover flies are a common insect.
Just as their name implies, hover flies often hover around flowers or around people. Some people call hover flies sweat bees since the flies enjoy a little tasty drink of sweat periodically. However, hover flies don't sting and actually can't sting even if they had the urge. Hover flies are actually good guys in the garden. Hover fly young are ravenous predators of garden pests such as aphids, thrips and small caterpillars.