Where I Almost Get Hit By A Car Everyday

*Warning. This is a heated topic for me.*

The Double Tree by Hilton, formerly the Crown Plaza, in downtown Billings is home to our radio stations. Being on the top floor is basically the coolest place to work and I die everyday looking at the gorgeous views of Billings.  However, our perfect perch does not have all the things needed to make it through the day, like food, so I have to ascend from the 23rd floor and head out into downtown Billings. Which is perfectly fine with me. I love getting the fresh air and taking a quick walk while I get food.

So, to set the scene of where I almost die... Here is a photo...

Okay, so the I cross the street from the corner I'm on and head West towards Walker's (27th St and 1st Ave).  I kid you not, I get hit almost every day by people running the red light the goes across 1st, on 27th, towards the tracks. People have told me that I should wait 2 or 3 seconds after the walk sign has come on to actually walk 'just in case.'  Here's the deal... I will do that because I don't want to get hit by a car and die BUT I SHOULD NOT have to wait 2 or 3 seconds to walk. The whole point of a walk signal is that the on coming traffic has stopped because they have a red and it is now safe for me to walk. However, when everyone in this town runs red lights, it is stupid for me to trust the 'safety' of the walk sign.

And besides myself almost getting hit, if it isn't me that day, it's the person who is in front of me getting ready to walk. Two weeks ago I was walking back from Bin 119 and one of the lawyers that works a couple floors below the stations in Double Tree almost got hit by a Ford F250 who was FLYING through the red light. It's not like getting hit with normal speeds coming through the intersection. The driver was at top speeds to 'make the light' and while doing so almost took out our friend.  He literally turned around and looked at me with the eyes of someone who just saw their life flash before their eyes. I told him that I saw his life flash before my eyes, too.

SLOW THE CRAP DOWN. Downtown has a ton of pedestrians. This isn't the interstate where you can go 80 MPH. It's 25 miles per hour. Again, 2-5 miles per hour. Okay, I digress now.