Originally Posted by LittleBigMan
When I'm walking with my back to traffic, cars almost always swing very wide of me, as if they are thinking that, since I don't see them, I need a wider berth. Others' results might differ.
My observations would be identical. But I have to admit that I FELT safer walking towards traffic, even with the closer passing distance, because I could see the motorists and make eye contact.
On a car trip last weekend (Hwy 5 in Brantford area) I overtook both right-way and wrong way cyclists riding along the fog line (the shoulder is not paved). These guys were farm helpers on department store bikes, going about a jogging speed. I noticed no detrimental safety effect due to increased closing speed of the wrong-way riders, since it was only 10% or so compared to the 80-100 kph traffic. And with hardly any intersections, I'm hard pressed to say these guys were endangering themselves.
Hence, although you'll never catch me riding contra-flow personally, I have to admit that the letter-writer in the OP is asking a fair question.