I just started out with my iron battle axe wielding bandit 'Bloody Mary". As soon as it started I was standing on that bridge next to the bandit archer and she did that little "Humph" sound Nord woman make sometimes but didn't attack me. I teleported straight to the cheat room so I could get an iron battle axe, fur bikini, and a few assorted things as well as do some smithing and come back at 3rd level. When Bloody Mary teleported back in the bandits went agro and attacked. Alas, Mary killed them all...

I was wondering if anyone else has started there and if normally the bandits at that location are non-hostile, at least until you leave the area and come back later or something?

It was pretty funny afterwards when I was heading to Whiterun to recruit Janessa before I started my 'bloody career' across Skyrim and was not aware that I had a 1500 septim bounty there, automatically. So a whole bunch of Whiterun cops jumped me and I runt off. It just so happens I had been clever enough to make a Dark Cowl (Sneak Tools mod) enchantment on the fur helmet I was given but did not intend to wear normally, her long bloody hair looks way to good. Anyway I put that on and went back into town. This being the first time I used it, I was not aware that you couldn't talk to anybody so I couldn't sell my stuff to the merchant in the Bannered Mare (Merchants in Inns). So my game was acting a little funny so I saved and reloaded with my hat 'Bloody Mummer" on but it didn't work and everyone attacked me. Word to the wise on that one. Well, that's my long story if anyone listened....

Oh yeah, and a tip for anyone using that enchantment- when I reloaded and went back (after giving myself a couple hundred to pay Janessa what I was short), Janessa would talk to me so I hired her and we are about to cut a bloody swath across the province.