Detroiter walks 21 miles in work commute

**eastside gypsy** · February-02-15, 03:09 PM

God bless him.until u walk in his shoes, lets not judge.no pun intended. Im sure theres many reasons why he does this. Maybe job security. Maybe he loves where he works. I do wish he had a dependable vehicle though. Our winters have been very cold , the last two years..talk about dedication. Maybe his coworkers would be so kind as to take up a collection for him.

**eastside gypsy** · February-02-15, 03:15 PM

God bless him.until u walk in his shoes, lets not judge.no pun intended. Im sure theres many reasons why he does this. Maybe job security. Maybe he loves where he works. I do wish he had a dependable vehicle though. Our winters have been very cold , the last two years..talk about dedication. Maybe his coworkers would be so kind as to take up a collection for him.

**eastside gypsy** · February-02-15, 03:17 PM

Sorry just saw the post of the money collection for him. Great!!!

**Cliffy** · February-02-15, 04:11 PM

Something isn't adding up with this guy. Just makes no sense he's doing all of this for just $2 above minimum wage.

**noise** · February-02-15, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Dbest

Based on the context of the article why would I assume anything different? It's the same disconnect that exists at much larger corporations. The story says that co-workers felt bad for the man and had talked about helping him get a car. Sounds great for morale!

This reminds me of Wal Mart taking holiday donations for their own workers instead of, um, giving a gift card[[holiday bonus) to all their workers maybe?

I hope I didn't hurt any "businesses" feelings with my post.... If so, I'll give "business" a call tomorrow and apologize, okay Wes?

Why do you always insist on going off half-cocked?

Look, you know absolutely nothing about the business, the owner, or the other employees. You only know what the newspaper told you. Maybe the story is unbelievable for a reason.

It's clear a lot of posters here have never run a business.

**nain rouge** · February-02-15, 05:33 PM

Cliffy, I almost feel like he's semi-purposefully making himself a martyr. Rather than let a horrible transit system dictate how he'll live his life, he decided to keep working near M-59 almost out of spite. He saw how bus cuts messed up other Detroiters' lives and decided it wasn't going to change his routine one bit. He wasn't going to switch to a job he might not like or feel comfortable at because some suburbanites opted out of the bus system.

Of course, I'm just guessing based on his comments.

**Vic01** · February-02-15, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Sweet! Now Mr. Robertson will only have to pay for gas, insurance, tires, tune-ups, shocks, state registration fees, oil changes, wiper blades, etc. until he retires.

How generous.

I wonder if we'll see a follow up news story showing that at least a car was purchased... there should be plenty left for your list.

DetroitBoy · February-02-15, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Cliffy, I almost feel like he's semi-purposefully making himself a martyr. Rather than let a horrible transit system dictate how he'll live his life, he decided to keep working near M-59 almost out of spite. He saw how bus cuts messed up other Detroiters' lives and decided it wasn't going to change his routine one bit. He wasn't going to switch to a job he might not like or feel comfortable at because some suburbanites opted out of the bus system.

Of course, I'm just guessing based on his comments.

What an ignorant comment. Do you even work for a living? To state someone who exposes himself to the weather and hours commuting to keep a job he needs is being a martyr is really asinine. Give the guy the credit he deserves. He isn't sucking on welfare like so many people in Detroit. He works for a meager living and asks for no handouts from anyone. Fifty posts and half a brain on this thread.

**nain rouge** · February-02-15, 05:55 PM

Oh come on, doing that for a decade for $10.55 an hour? Jobs can be tough to come by sometimes, but in ten years I'd definitely manage to find something closer near that pay scale. The person in question has easy access to Woodward. There are jobs he could find.

I admire his dedication, but is it so wrong to wonder if it's misplaced? Most people in his shoes would've been filling out apps like crazy once they realized that weren't going to buy another car.

**nain rouge** · February-02-15, 06:11 PM

I'm glad he's probably going to have a car and stuff now, but it just doesn't make sense. In a follow-up article [[ http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...iser/22701087/ ) he mentions that he likes walking and the outdoors and the he loves his job. So he made the choice to stick with his job no matter what, even if he wasn't going to buy a car anytime soon.

I think you're discrediting the man if you don't think he could've found a closer job.

DetroitBoy · February-02-15, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Oh come on, doing that for a decade for $10.55 an hour? Jobs can be tough to come by sometimes, but in ten years I'd definitely manage to find something closer near that pay scale. The person in question has easy access to Woodward. There are jobs he could find.

I admire his dedication, but is it so wrong to wonder if it's misplaced? Most people in his shoes would've been filling out apps like crazy once they realized that weren't going to buy another car.

You know nothing about this man, his background, his skills, his circumstances, his health, his age or any number of other factors which keep him going to these lengths to hold on to his job. To question his integrity is really appalling. Again, do you even work for a living?

**Cliffy** · February-02-15, 06:13 PM

They already raised over 81k and this thing is growing. This guy will probably retire now since he's 56.

**nain rouge** · February-02-15, 06:15 PM

Oh, brother. Yes, I work. I'm not questioning his integrity. He said he likes walking and doesn't want to leave his job. We can take that for what we will. He never says "I know I never could've found another job." We're the ones that are spinning it into these epic tales of morality.

**nain rouge** · February-02-15, 06:16 PM

I was wrong to use the word martyr. He doesn't complain.

DetroitBoy · February-02-15, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by nain rouge

Oh, brother. Yes, I work. I'm not questioning his integrity. He said he likes walking and doesn't want to leave his job. We can take that for what we will. He never says "I know I never could've found another job." We're the ones that are spinning it into these epic tales of morality.

He's a proud and humble man and doesn't want to do anything which could jeopardize his job.

**Wesley Mouch** · February-02-15, 06:33 PM

Over $81k...! Can corktownyuppie help this guy handle the windfall? There's a good chance he doesn't know. I would suppose that the windfall is taxable. Would hate to see him get a tax bill and penalties next year for $30k and not be able to pay it.

If the rate of money pouring in keeps up, this guy will be in the 1% soon. [[Did you hear the radio article [[NPR?) about the musician who was struggling one year, then the next got a tune used for some TV show, and in that one year, and for only that one year, was a certified member of the 1% -- which I think hits in the $200k range.

**canuck** · February-02-15, 06:39 PM

I hope he buys himself the Jaguar he saw at the Detroit International.

**magnumstan** · February-02-15, 07:29 PM

Am I the only one who worries about the fact that he's got - at least at this point - hi five figures coming, and has his location at any given hour published in the local paper?

**Pam** · February-02-15, 07:52 PM

https://gma.yahoo.com/flood-donation...193422110.html

Leedy, who started the fundraising campaign, plans to meet Robertson, along with Pollock, for the first time in Detroit this evening. “My vision now is to really help in any way,” said Leedy, who noted that GoFundMe officials have already contacted him with offers to help make sure 100 percent of the donations go directly to Robertson. “This could really change his life.”
"I want to talk to James first and know what his needs are," Leedy said. "It’s not my money or my choice. I’m just facilitating the whole thing."

DetroitBoy · February-02-15, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by magnumstan

Am I the only one who worries about the fact that he's got - at least at this point - hi five figures coming, and has his location at any given hour published in the local paper?

He might keep what he needs and give the rest of it away to people that he thinks are less fortunate.

**Bobl** · February-02-15, 08:21 PM

An embarrassing indictment of our insane lack of public transportation and dwindling infrastructure.

**Crystal** · February-02-15, 08:30 PM

Is it known whether Mr. Robertson has a driver's license, would use the funds raised to buy a vehicle, wants a vehicle, or would be able to handle a windfall of around $100K?

A 22-hour day to work a $10.55/hour job -- the math is just not making sense to me.

I'd love to help, but I'm not sure all help is necessarily good help.

It sounds like the person who started the gofundme project will have more information in the next day or so.

**Gpwrangler** · February-02-15, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

An embarrassing indictment of our insane lack of public transportation and dwindling infrastructure.

Lack of public transit is a supply and demand issue. Most people drive cars around here. Might not be the best thing but it is what it is.

**magnumstan** · February-02-15, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitBoy

He might keep what he needs and give the rest of it away to people that he thinks are less fortunate.

I think you're missing my point completely...the worry I have reminds me of a story I remember from the mid 80's or so when I was still living in Detroit proper:

Somewhere not too far from me [[east side), a kid of 12 or 13 heard a 9 year old girl struggling and crying, being dragged to an overgrown lot and having her clothes ripped off. He grabbed a rake or broom or some such and chased the scumbag off. He became a hero, on a national level. He met President Reagan, and was given some kind of $10,000 award or scholarship, I don't remember exactly. What I DO remember is the followup story, that that family had to LEAVE DETROIT a few months later due to constant fights and threats because a) "You think you're famous, well take ME on punk" and b) "Gimme your wallet rich boy".

DetroitBoy · February-02-15, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by magnumstan

I think you're missing my point completely...the worry I have reminds me of a story I remember from the mid 80's or so when I was still living in Detroit proper:

Somewhere not too far from me [[east side), a kid of 12 or 13 heard a 9 year old girl struggling and crying, being dragged to an overgrown lot and having her clothes ripped off. He grabbed a rake or broom or some such and chased the scumbag off. He became a hero, on a national level. He met President Reagan, and was given some kind of $10,000 award or scholarship, I don't remember exactly. What I DO remember is the followup story, that that family had to LEAVE DETROIT a few months later due to constant fights and threats because a) "You think you're famous, well take ME on punk" and b) "Gimme your wallet rich boy".

I understand what you are saying. Lots of riff raff everywhere. Hopefully, this will lift his life not hurt it.