russian rocket Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I wish there were more people like this man. Imagine how much better this world would be if more people had his attitude and mentality. http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2015/01/31/detroit-commuting-troy-rochester-hills-smart-ddot-ubs-banker-woodward-buses-transit/22660785/ He doesn't look athletic but James Robertson, 56, of Detroit has a champ's commute. He rides buses part-way but walks about 21 miles in round trips to a factory, unless his banker pal offers a lift. (Photo: Ryan Garza Detroit Free Press) Story Highlights Think your commute is tough? Detroiter James Robertson, 56, walks about 21 miles a day, round trip. Robertson also takes a bus ride part-way to his hourly job in Rochester Hills, and part-way home. He says he loves his job and bosses, buses are limited and he can't afford a car on $10.55 an hour. Lately he catches breaks when a friendly banker heading for Troy sees him and offers frequent lifts. Leaving home in Detroit at 8 a.m., James Robertson doesn't look like an endurance athlete. Pudgy of form, shod in heavy work boots, Robertson trudges almost haltingly as he starts another workday. But as he steps out into the cold, Robertson, 56, is steeled for an Olympic-sized commute. Getting to and from his factory job 23 miles away in Rochester Hills, he'll take a bus partway there and partway home. And he'll also walk an astounding 21 miles. Five days a week. Monday through Friday. It's the life Robertson has led for the last decade, ever since his 1988 Honda Accord quit on him. Every trip is an ordeal of mental and physical toughness for this soft-spoken man with a perfect attendance record at work. And every day is a tribute to how much he cares about his job, his boss and his coworkers. Robertson's daunting walks and bus rides, in all kinds of weather, also reflect the challenges some metro Detroiters face in getting to work in a region of limited bus service, and where car ownership is priced beyond the reach of many. But you won't hear Robertson complain — nor his boss. James Robertson, 56, of Detroit, walks toward Woodward Ave. in Detroit to catch his morning bus to Somerset Collection in Troy before walking to his job at Schain Mold & Engineering in Rochester Hills on Thursday January 29, 2015. James walks 21 miles daily round trip to his job.Robertson's roundtrip commute requires a bus ride each direction as well as nearly 21-miles of walking consuming 22 hours of his day before beginning again throughout the work week. (Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) "I set our attendance standard by this man," says Todd Wilson, plant manager at Schain Mold & Engineering. "I say, if this man can get here, walking all those miles through snow and rain, well I'll tell you, I have people in Pontiac 10 minutes away and they say they can't get here — bull!" As he speaks of his loyal employee, Wilson leans over his desk for emphasis, in a sparse office with a view of the factory floor. Before starting his shift, Robertson stops by the office every day to talk sports, usually baseball. And during dinnertime each day, Wilson treats him to fine Southern cooking, compliments of the plant manager's wife. DETROIT FREE PRESS Detroiters' cost to commute among highest in nation "Oh, yes, she takes care of James. And he's a personal favorite of the owners because of his attendance record. He's never missed. I've seen him come in here wringing wet," says Wilson, 53, of Metamora Township. With a full-time job and marathon commutes, Robertson is clearly sleep deprived, but powers himself by downing 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew and cans of Coke. "I sleep a lot on the weekend, yes I do," he says, sounding a little amazed at his schedule. He also catches zzz's on his bus rides. Whatever it takes to get to his job, Robertson does it. "I can't imagine not working," he says. 'Lord, keep me safe' The sheer time and effort of getting to work has ruled Robertson's life for more than a decade, ever since his car broke down. He didn't replace it because, he says, "I haven't had a chance to save for it." 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. As hard as Robertson's morning commute is, the trip home is even harder. At the end of his 2-10 p.m. shift as an injection molder at Schain Mold's squeaky-clean factory just south of M-59, and when his coworkers are climbing into their cars, Robertson sets off, on foot — in the dark — for the 23-mile trip to his home off Woodward near Holbrook. None of his coworkers lives anywhere near him, so catching a ride almost never happens. Instead, he reverses the 7-mile walk he took earlier that day, a stretch between the factory and a bus stop behind Troy's Somerset Collection shopping mall. "I keep a rhythm in my head," he says of his seemingly mechanical-like pace to the mall. At Somerset, he catches the last SMART bus of the day, just before 1 a.m. He rides it into Detroit as far it goes, getting off at the State Fairgrounds on Woodward, just south of 8 Mile. By that time, the last inbound Woodward bus has left. So Robertson foots it the rest of the way — about 5 miles — in the cold or rain or the mild summer nights, to the home he shares with his girlfriend. The daily route of "the incredible commuter" JamesBuy Photo The daily route of "the incredible commuter" James Robertson, 56, of Detroit. (Photo: Detroit Free Press) "I have to go through Highland Park, and you never know what you're going to run into," Robertson says. "It's pretty dangerous. Really, it is (dangerous) from 8 Mile on down. They're not the type of people you want to run into. "But I've never had any trouble," he says. Actually, he did get mugged several years ago — "some punks tuned him up pretty good," says Wilson, the plant manager. Robertson chooses not to talk about that. So, what gets him past dangerous streets, and through the cold and gloom of night and winter winds? "One word — faith," Robertson says. "I'm not saying I'm a member of some church. But just before I get home, every night, I say, 'Lord, keep me safe.' " The next day, Robertson adds, "I should've told you there's another thing: determination." A land of no buses Robertson's 23-mile commute from home takes four hours. It's so time-consuming because he must traverse the no-bus land of rolling Rochester Hills. It's one of scores of tri-county communities (nearly 40 in Oakland County alone) where voters opted not to pay the SMART transit millage. So it has no fixed-route bus service. Once he gets to Troy and Detroit, Robertson is back in bus country. But even there, the bus schedules are thin in a region that is relentlessly auto-centric. "The last five years been really tough because the buses cut back," Robertson says. Both SMART and DDOT have curtailed service over the last half decade, "and with SMART, it really affected service into Detroit," said Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United. Detroit's director of transportation said there is a service Robertson may be able to use that's designed to help low-income workers. Job Access and Reverse Commute, paid for in part with federal dollars, provides door-to-door transportation to low-income workers, but at a cost. Robertson said he was not aware of the program. Still, metro Detroit's lack of accessible mass transit hasn't stopped Robertson from hoofing it along sidewalks — often snow-covered — to get to a job. At home at work Robertson is proud of all the miles he covers each day. But it's taking a toll, and he's not getting any younger. "He comes in here looking real tired — his legs, his knees," says coworker Janet Vallardo, 59, of Auburn Hills. But there's a lot more than a paycheck luring him to make his weekday treks. Robertson looks forward to being around his coworkers, saying, "We're like a family." He also looks forward to the homemade dinners the plant manager's wife whips up for him each day. "I look at her food, I always say, 'Excellent. No, not excellent. Phenomenal,' " he says, with Wilson sitting across from him, nodding and smiling with affirmation. Although Robertson eats in a factory lunchroom, his menus sound like something from a Southern café: Turnip greens with smoked pork neck bones, black-eyed peas and carrots in a brown sugar glaze, baby-back ribs, cornbread made from scratch, pinto beans, fried taters, cheesy biscuits. They're the kind of meal that can fuel his daunting commutes back home. Though his job is clearly part of his social life, when it's time to work this graduate of Northern High School is methodical. He runs an injection-molding machine the size of a small garage, carefully slicing and drilling away waste after removing each finished part, and noting his production in detail on a clipboard. Strangers crossing paths Robertson has walked the walk so often that drivers wonder: Who is that guy? UBS banker Blake Pollock, 47, of Rochester, wondered. About a year ago, he found out. Pollock tools up and down Crooks each day in his shiny black 2014 Chrysler 300. "I saw him so many times, climbing through snow banks. I saw him at all different places on Crooks," Pollock recalls. Last year, Pollock had just parked at his office space in Troy as Robertson passed. The banker in a suit couldn't keep from asking the factory guy in sweats, what the heck are you doing, walking out here every day? They talked a bit. Robertson walked off and Pollock ruminated. From then on, Pollock began watching for the factory guy. At first, he'd pick him up occasionally, when he could swing the time. But the generosity became more frequent as winter swept in. Lately, it's several times a week, especially when metro Detroit sees single-digit temperatures and windchills. "Knowing what I know, I can't drive past him now. I'm in my car with the heat blasting and even then my feet are cold," Pollock says. Other times, it's 10:30 or 11 p.m., even after midnight, when Pollock, who is divorced, is sitting at home alone or rolling home from a night out, and wondering how the man he knows only as "James" is doing in the frigid darkness. On those nights, Pollock runs Robertson all the way to his house in Detroit. "I asked him, why don't you move closer" to work. "He said his girlfriend inherited their house so it's easy to stay there," Pollock said. On a recent night run, Pollock got his passenger home at 11 p.m. They sat together in the car for a minute, outside Robertson's house. "So, normally you'd be getting here at 4 o'clock (in the morning), right?" the banker asks. "Yeah," Robertson replies. Pollock flashes a wry smile. "So, you're pretty early, aren't you?" he says. Robertson catches the drift. "Oh, I'm grateful for the time, believe me," Robertson says, then adds in a voice rising with anticipation: "I'm going to take me a bath!" After the door shuts and Pollock pulls away, he admits that Robertson mystifies him, yet leaves him stunned with admiration for the man's uncanny work ethic and determination. "I always say to my friends, I'm not a nice guy. But I find myself helping James," Pollock says with a sheepish laugh. He said he's picked up Robertson several dozen times this winter alone. Has a routine At the plant, coworkers feel odd seeing one of their team numbers always walking, says Charlie Hollis, 63, of Pontiac. "I keep telling him to get him a nice little car," says Hollis, also a machine operator. Echoes the plant manager Wilson, "We are very much trying to get James a vehicle." But Robertson has a routine now, and he seems to like it, his coworkers say. "If I can get away, I'll pick him up. But James won't get in just anybody's car. He likes his independence," Wilson says. Robertson has simple words for why he is what he is, and does what he does. He speaks with pride of his parents, including his father's military service. "I just get it from my family. It's a lot of walking, I know." Robertson's commute by the miles Detroit City Hall to Metro Airport: What he walks each day Detroit to Lansing: What he walks each week Detroit to Louisville, Ky.: What he walks each month Detroit to Los Angeles – and back: What he walks each year here is his gofundme page for those interested in donating http://www.gofundme.com/l7girc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russian rocket Posted February 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 lol in 5 hours its up to almost 19k i bet before its done he'll have enough to retire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTaylor751647545500 Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 The goal was originally 10k, now the goal is 25k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bastard Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 25k? He ought to have enough with that to buy a house closer to work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1fast5gp Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 wow, at 44k now.. he can buy a house and a car closer to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 wait, why are people giving this guy money? because he lives far away from work and doesn't have a car? Am I the only one sitting here thinking... "find a job close to home dude" OR "the definition of insanity is..." Ever hear the old adage "try and work smarter not harder"... does that apply here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyM3rC Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Seems pretty dumb to me. Kudos for him for showing up to work, whatever it takes but he'd have a lot more money in his pocket if he got a minimum wage job close to home and worked more, or relocated. LOL at people that commute that far for that little. Just crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Wait, Wait... NOW I get it... This is TRULY an inspirational man.... He inspires me NOT to do an idiotic thing like keep a 10/hr job 20 miles away that I have to walk to every day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustlestiltskin Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 wait, why are people giving this guy money? because he lives far away from work and doesn't have a car? Am I the only one sitting here thinking... "find a job close to home dude" OR "the definition of insanity is..." Ever hear the old adage "try and work smarter not harder"... does that apply here? Wait, Wait... NOW I get it... This is TRULY an inspirational man.... He inspires me NOT to do an idiotic thing like keep a 10/hr job 20 miles away that I have to walk to every day... /thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 This thread inspired me to look up the proper spelling of the word "Truly". I am "truly" grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTaylor751647545500 Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 $53,783 W T F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Its above 60 now...also some chebby dealer is going to give the guy a car. http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/after-story-of-man-who-walks-21-miles-a-day-to-work-goes-vir?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgp#.liGaQpYla ....You are trying to achieve the American Dream, and Rodgers Chevrolet wants to help you do that! We want to GIVE you a car. A 2014 Chevrolet Cruze or Sonic, your choice! We want to ensure that you can achieve your American Dream with America's finest Automobile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 This guy is crazy. Getting a ride from a coworker doesn't mean you are not independent. I am going to start walking to my job if this is how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 This guy is crazy. Getting a ride from a coworker doesn't mean you are not independent. I am going to start walking to my job if this is how it works. He doesnt get one from a coworker. The guy who occasionally picks him up is some random banker that happened to stop one day. It mentioned none of his coworkers live anywhere near where he does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bastard Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Complaining that the guy walks to work for 10 bucks an hour? At least he is working instead of living on government assistance... As far as the charity going on for the guy right now, I doubt he asked for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Up past $75K donated now. Dude is going to rolling to work in a Gallardo at this pace... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 $93K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Its funny people get on here and complain about folks on .gov assistance. Then tell this guy he's an idiot for walking 20 miles for a $10 an hour job. The man takes care of what he's gotta do, hats off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XChris1632X Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Its funny people get on here and complain about folks on .gov assistance. Then tell this guy he's an idiot for walking 20 miles for a $10 an hour job. The man takes care of what he's gotta do, hats off. +1 And he isn't asking for a fucking thing. He doesn't decide to not go I to work today because we got too much snow or he isn't feeling the greatest. To him it's more than a job and it's more than conveniently working at the gas station down the street because it is easier. Sadly, the fact that some of you can't see the good in this story is exactly what's seperates him from you and myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Detroit is the new Gotham city. Here's this "OLD MAN", as anyone would call him, and he is hardcore. So what if he chooses to stay in an area falling apart everyday. He's been there all his life. Jobs up there are hard to find, he has one, and he has his self respect. He lives his life for what he feels is right and makes him happy. You don't have to relate to it from your point of view. He breaks the stereotype, and yet some many of you say he's an idiot. That "idiot" is in far better health at his age than most in their 20's; aside from that hip issue. That "idiot" is not leeching off our tax dollars, like 90% of the people around him. That "idiot" and his value's are what we could use a lot more of in our society. many of you probably overlook how much inspiration he gives to the people around him. I guess if I woke up one day and didn't feel like going to work, and worked with this guy, I feel like a pretty big asshole. I just hope someone up there does not target him for all the money being raised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Its funny people get on here and complain about folks on .gov assistance. Then tell this guy he's an idiot for walking 20 miles for a $10 an hour job. The man takes care of what he's gotta do, hats off. +1 And he isn't asking for a fucking thing. He doesn't decide to not go I to work today because we got too much snow or he isn't feeling the greatest. To him it's more than a job and it's more than conveniently working at the gas station down the street because it is easier. Sadly, the fact that some of you can't see the good in this story is exactly what's seperates him from you and myself. Detroit is the new Gotham city. Here's this "OLD MAN", as anyone would call him, and he is hardcore. So what if he chooses to stay in an area falling apart everyday. He's been there all his life. Jobs up there are hard to find, he has one, and he has his self respect. He lives his life for what he feels is right and makes him happy. You don't have to relate to it from your point of view. He breaks the stereotype, and yet some many of you say he's an idiot. That "idiot" is in far better health at his age than most in their 20's; aside from that hip issue. That "idiot" is not leeching off our tax dollars, like 90% of the people around him. That "idiot" and his value's are what we could use a lot more of in our society. many of you probably overlook how much inspiration he gives to the people around him. I guess if I woke up one day and didn't feel like going to work, and worked with this guy, I feel like a pretty big asshole. I just hope someone up there does not target him for all the money being raised. So happy to come here and read the above, makes me think there is a glimmer of hope for the future. The man is the last of a dying breed, where you work for a living, and do what you have to do and not bitch about it. The last of a generation of people who don't feel the world owes them anything. Hat tip to you, good sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 I actually found myself asking if he ever considered a bicycle...something cheap that had great traction. If he's got a house and a solid factory job there shouldn't be an issue keeping it locked for security on either side of the trek. My younger brother suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and this is the sort of thing he would do. I'm not as negative as Bob but if he's committing this time to walk there is a SUBSTANTIAL amount of his time he'd retain (still along with his independence and his life health from a workout standard) by riding a bike. TIL: 1) Talk to your friend who is a staff reporter for a local newspaper/blog. 2) Show pictures of me walking along High Street. 3) Get friends to lie about not knowing me, but seeing me walk everyday for the last few years. 4) Get a company to vouch for me walking everyday to and from my $10/hr job. 5) Post that shit on a crowdfunding site. 6) Make $108k. Give friends who helped me a couple grand each. I'd never do it, but there have been a few stories recently that make me unfortunately skeptical about "news" like this that's been proven false (L.I. teen that claimed to make $70MM in the stock market, "Balloon Boy", etc...) just to get attention. Props to this man for sure, but our society has fallen far from grace, no matter how much a crowd-funding site raises. KONY 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdhill Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 There are more people like him out there than you know...the media focuses on the negative and sensational and the Kardashians...many good Americans who work hard and get no credit. We hear about the minority who commit crimes, or act stupid. I had a worker a few years ago who walked 4 miles each way to a job paying 7.75 an hour. She would occasionally get a ride. Trying to support her daughter. There are many people who really want to work and contribute. I know I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 I actually found myself asking if he ever considered a bicycle...something cheap that had great traction. If he's got a house and a solid factory job there shouldn't be an issue keeping it locked for security on either side of the trek. There was a time when I had to do a lot of walking, think Forrest Gump. There is just some things you think through when you are putting in miles and pushing your body. To know what you are physically capable of is an amazing feeling. The video didn't show him with headphones on. He just take in everyday and lives it. I'm guessing it might be the same for people who bike. It's easy for us to look at him and say he has misguided determination. But, I bet he feels alive and accomplished. He may not have the education to get a better job in a better area. For him, he may be doing just the best he can. I'm all for someone striking out on their own and learning the world and educating themselves. But, I'll never look down on someone sticking to the area they know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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