Also keep in mind that when people come up to a road they expect traffic to be coming from a given direction. They may not expect traffic to be going the wrong

Also keep in mind that when people come up to a road they expect traffic to be coming from a given direction. They may not expect traffic to be going the wrong way, so they aren't looking for it. For pedestrians, not necessarily a big issue, but for cyclists it kind of is. By going the wrong direction, when you suddenly appear out of nowhere, at speed, you will cause a lot of unnecessary confusion, surprise, and rapid decision making. It's not worth it. Luckily, I see very little of this (Santa Monica).