Detroit man who has been walking 21 miles a day to get to and from work for over a decade

He's not the only one walking to work everyday. I've walked 10 miles to and from work every day now for two full years. Worst part about my trek? The roads I walk on don't have sidewalks, and the posted speed limit is 55. 4 lanes, from 1 am to 4 am I would walk all 9 miles to my house from the mall because the buses stop at 8PM. I haven't been run over yet but I have seen plenty of accidents. And this isn't a lonely road either. It is a busy road from 1AM to 3AM, then again at 4AM to 12PM.

I have done this in Denver as well. And I would have to wake up at 2 AM to walk 10 miles to the nearest light rail just to make it to my shift at 7 am. worst part about it was the fact that I couldn't afford to pay 2.50 for the bus pass, an extra 5 for the light rail (or 9 if light rail only with all day pass) every day. I didn't make enough an hour to support that. I remember walking the full 22 miles home once because I was completely broke and no one could pick me up.

And what sucks the most is rent anywhere near I work. I can't afford it. I can't even afford 200 a month anymore.

a reply to: GiulXainx

You too, are an inspiration for your dedication to work.

I'm sorry you have it so tough. I think high rent (and raising prices of everything except wages) is going to do many, many more people in soon.

I find myself complaining sometimes (about things being so tough), but if I take look around I see that someone has it much tougher than myself.

a reply to: tinker9917

Is he related to forest gump😄😄😄

A $50 bicycle is out of the question for this guy? I understand maybe not in the winter but cmon...I used to make 10-11 an hour myself and understand its living paycheck to paycheck but on a tax return one year you could get a good mountain bike with a motor on it....This just makes no sense to me but god bless this guy...a reply to: tinker9917

originally posted by: abe froman
Reading through the article I see " he rarely accepts rides" followed shortly by the article saying he was befriended by a banker who has given him dozens of rides.

This whole thing is fishy.

I live in Detroit myself.

This thing has gone viral, but what many people are not asking, thinking or even questioning is:

"What the hell is he doing with all the money he is making, or has made for the past 10 years?" Even if he put away $400 a year he could have bought something.

In Detroit you can get a beater at auction for around $1300. I bought one a years ago and it lasted my 5 years, and I think I spent about $300 in parts fixing it, over those 5 years. PLPD insurance is about $500 a year tops

There is no reason to do what he is doing.

But who knows maybe he gives all his money to the church or needy people, or on the other hand maybe he gambles a bit.

originally posted by: Realtruth

originally posted by: abe froman
Reading through the article I see " he rarely accepts rides" followed shortly by the article saying he was befriended by a banker who has given him dozens of rides.

This whole thing is fishy.

"What the hell is he doing with all the money he is making, or has made for the past 10 years?"

"All that money" he's making??? Maybe he pays rent and eats???

Look at his wages... he probably makes a whole $1300/mo after taxes, if that. Rent, electric, heat, and food would eat that up and then some... not to mention clothes and other general necessaties such as toilet paper and toothpaste.

If he is truly making these kind of numbers, then most likely he qualifies for food stamps, and the state would most likely give him heat and energy credits too.

The cost of living in Detroit is fairly reasonable.

5 years ago when I was going through my divorce, I would go down to the eastern market (Farmer market), on a Saturday and buy enough veggies, meats and other things for around $150. It was enough food for a month for two people.

Cases of bell peppers $5, 50 pounds of Michigan potatoes $8, wholesale meats mostly, case of mangoes $3, Case of spinach $5. You get the idea, buying in bulk really helped and most of the goods sold were excess produce from the central markets, so it was either sell them really low, or toss them in the garbage.

People bash Detroit, but Michigan is really an affordable and great place to live if people can weather cold winters.

But again we don't know this guy circumstances he may give any extra money away to his loved ones too.

It would be great to hear his whole story though.

originally posted by: tinker9917

Look at his wages... he probably makes a whole $1300/mo after taxes, if that. Rent, electric, heat, and food would eat that up and then some... not to mention clothes and other general necessaties such as toilet paper and toothpaste.

He seems to be a very simple man, who enjoys simple things. (No, not an insult, I mean it as a compliment.)

A young man started a GoFundMe page for him, expecting $5000, it has grown to $230K!!!!

$230,000 and free car offers pouring in!

Two days ago, James Robertson couldn't afford a car to drive to work more than 20 miles away from his home — and today he can afford a small fleet.

"I'm always going to be in your debt — I will never forget this," Robertson told Leedy, as the younger man in a sweater-hoodie shook his hand.

Robertson said he was only half surprised by the outpouring of aid because, "I gotta say, this is Detroit, this is how people are in Detroit. They say Los Angeles is the city of angels. That's wrong. Detroit is the real city of angels."

The meeting and interviews were arranged by banker Blake Pollock, 47, of Rochester, who brought Robertson's story to the Free Press after seeing the intrepid walker trudge by in every sort of weather, mile after mile, through areas in Troy and Rochester Hills that no metro Detroit bus serves.

Now, Pollock is assembling a board of advisers to take charge of the rapidly mounting donations earmarked for Robertson, including offers of new and used cars. Robertson is not in a rush to receive any money because "he sees the need to manage this," Pollock said. Robertson is single but has a girlfriend, as well as sisters and other relatives in Detroit, some of whom had been out of touch until the flurry of publicity, the lifelong Detroiter said.

The board will set much of Robertson's windfall aside for future expenses, including auto insurance, gasoline, maintenance, and some of the cash likely will help him with medical and dental care, Pollock said.

A big step is deciding what kind of car would be best, Pollock said. Through the Free Press, dealers, including Rodgers Chevrolet, have offered free new cars.

I think this is VERY smart of the banker to do for this gentlemen. A lot of lottery winners, they get that money, and it turns their life into a living hell. By using a money management service, not only will this ensure he doesn't go broke immediately, but it will help him with budget, and learn to say yes to certain familial requests he wants to help, and no to others.

"I have to be careful how I act about this. The same God who brings you all these blessings can take them away," he said.

"Hopefully, I'm ready for what happens."

He sounds like no matter what happens he wants to stay the way he is, a nice, humble man. I hope he gets his wish.

a reply to: tinker9917

I hope that car comes with a lifetime service/insurance plan.
And that that bloke finds, or is offered, a better job.
I wonder what his retirement plan looks like...

originally posted by: tom.farnhill
a reply to: douglas5

the hourly rate he was being paid , how could he even afford to run a car let alone buy one .

I was just thinking that.
So now he has a car, can he afford to insure it? Or pay for gas and maintainence?

a reply to: tinker9917

I just have one question, after walking for over a decade, who is going to teach him how to drive?

Well he wont be walking (or maybe even working) now..they've raised over a quarter of a million dollars for him.
The kindness of strangers is a wonderful thing.


www.gofundme.com...

originally posted by: tinker9917

"All that money" he's making??? Maybe he pays rent and eats???

Look at his wages... he probably makes a whole $1300/mo after taxes, if that. Rent, electric, heat, and food would eat that up and then some... not to mention clothes and other general necessaties such as toilet paper and toothpaste.

Actually, a winter heating bill is a great point. We're in a creaky old house ourselves, and the first winter heating bill for the gas actually made me holler "Oh my GOD" when we opened it. Despite our best efforts at sniffing out & plugging any & all possible holes & cracks before a single box was unpacked, covering thin windows with insulating curtains, keeping the thermostat temp lower, it was still heart attack high (to us) And I thought summer electric bills in Florida were sky-high O.O
The guy could be living in an equally old house that eats up his money in heating bills for all we know, too. I can see how that can easily happen the older a home is, these old places leave a lot to be desired sometimes for insulation & lasting weatherproofing. And if you're stuck in a loop of paying out the nose during the cold months to stay warm enough, actually getting around to affording to insulate or properly weatherproof can be a lofty goal, akin to a "Do I rob Peter to pay Paul & risk screwing myself" deal.

Barefoot, uphill both ways and in the snow.

a reply to: coop039

He now has the time to get a second job.....

From the gofundme info:

It's the life Robertson has led for the last decade, ever since his 1988 Honda Accord quit on him.

His job pays $10.55 an hour, well above Michigan's minimum wage of $8.15 an hour but not enough for him to buy, maintain and insure a car in Detroit.

originally posted by: abe froman
Reading through the article I see " he rarely accepts rides" followed shortly by the article saying he was befriended by a banker who has given him dozens of rides.

This whole thing is fishy.

Work for less and if you start to complain, we will point you towards this story. Get your useless ass to work! Raise? How dare you!!! You'll work for this low wage and like it.

This story is just fluff to make you feel that you don't really have it that bad.

I have taken buses to work and walked a few miles in my life. I also saved until I could afford a car. It was a beater but it put me in a position to get a better one. I'll be the first one to admit I'd never waste ten years of my life walking to a dead end job. Call me lazy if you want. I like to call it something different, not selling myself short.

this is rediculous...10 years and no form of transportation

some may see that as dedication and motivated for his job and life or whatever but i see it the opposite. i see him as a mindless drone who didnt prioritize enough to make rational life decisions in order to make his life a little more convenient like the rest of us do.

who has any business having a girlfriend if they have no car and spend all their time walking to and from work? does his girlfriend have a car? if not whats her situation?

this whole thing stinks even if it is legit, that just means we can spend 10 years aimlessly existing and eventually some bleeding heart will come along and talk people into giving you a boatload of $ and most likely keep some themselves.

a reply to: douglas5

I feel for the guy with the hours he puts in , he must be motivated to carry on for 10 years ,but at the same time you can get a electric/battery powered bicycle cheap ,my father just picked up one for 6-700 $ and loves it or a moped would not cost much more . It staggers me that his friend's /boss/work mates watched him do this for so long, i hope they hang their heads in shame , the guy needs a medal for his persistence in all weathers .

Well for one thing the weather in Detroit is not moped or E bike friendly for about 5.5 months or so. Check out a map of the city of Detroit....blog.thedetroithub.com...
As someone else mentioned in this thread already if its a bike/moped/whatever that is mobile it will be stolen withing hours of being locked up once the "No-Gooders" know you own something of value.

This guy has to deal with a lot of expressways and crazy drivers. He is motivated to carry on because he wishes to survive, as for his workmates and boss they are making the same money and have their own worries at home.

I do agree that this story is a good feeling one, it's always refreshing to read something like this versus the "Evil Terrorists" are gonna get us:-)

originally posted by: Quauhtli
Walking that far every day may well be the glue that holds his world together.

In fact if I had to put money on it, I'd bet he doesn't have the same job this time next year. Could be a good thing, could be a bad thing.

For sure, the car will be a shock to his system and the consequences could be negative. He may look back one day and wish that he would have never been noticed...

I agree with the walking may well be the glue that holds his world together, I spent many many years walking or biking to get to my jobs and I found it almost a meditating thing. I would find myself at work or at home with almost know recollection of the trek involved.

The car will not be a "shock" to his system as he has owned cars before and he is espying an economical ford model as per article.
I do believe he is not going to be the next "Ted the Golden Voice" This guy has both feet on the ground and pun intended:-)

I have only respect for his work ethics and just think for one second how many days was he sick and still walked and still worked?
Regards, Iwinder