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Tired of your commute? This man walks 21 miles to and from work every day

Meet James Robertson.

happeningnewsnow / YouTube

HOW DID YOU get to work today?

Public transport? Your trusty bike? A short stroll? It might have taken you 10 minutes, or an hour.

James Robertson (56), walks 21 miles a day to get to work and back. He lives in Detroit, where due to his own financial situation, and the city’s financial situation (cutbacks have led to fewer buses) he spends most of his day on foot or on buses. Sometimes, he gets a lift from a kind banker for part of the journey.

In five years of walking to work, he’s never been late. He relies on soft drinks for energy.

His story was featured on the front page of the Detroit Free Press last Sunday, leading to an outpouring of support.

People could hardly believe that Robertson’s journey from Detroit to Schain Mold & Engineering in Rochester Hills took up so much of his day. But in a city like Detroit, which has suffered huge financial issues over the past few decades, his story was also one demonstrating what the paper termed the “awful transit policy” that parts of Michigan have.

What happened next

Evan Leedy (19) was so moved by the first article about Robertson that he set up a crowdfunding site. He has teamed up with two people who had a similar idea, and made sure that the money raised will go straight to Robertson himself.

As of today, strangers have raised just under $200k to help Robertson get a car.

Leedy even got to meet Robertson last night, and posted an update on his fundraising page saying:

What an incredible journey. James is an amazing guy and it was so great meeting him last night. Blake Pollock and myself are working on creating a board/committee to handle the money that is raised. Attorneys, financial advisors, ect, are all coming into play. We are making sure to consider every angle of this fundraiser. It is so exciting that every penny that is being raised is going to James to help him with whatever he needs in life. Thank you all for your continued donations, kind words, and support.

In a video about his arduous daily journeys, Robertson spoke about the impact of his hours of walking.

“By the time Friday comes, you are mentally and physically drained,” he told Detroit Free Press, over footage of him nodding off on one of the many buses he takes each day.

As people gather to raise funds for Robertson, and help him buy a new car, there is a lingering issue, however – with Detroit’s transit system being as it is, James probably isn’t the only person making a long journey each day to keep themselves in gainful employment.

So what will those who hold the power in southeast Michigan do for people like him?

Read: These children’s lives were changed thanks to one photograph>

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Nov 15th 2022, 9:54 AM

    Our carbon tax is working well.

    132
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    Mute Michael Dowling
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    Nov 15th 2022, 10:17 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: I want a refund of this failed policy.

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    Mute Edward Reid
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    Nov 15th 2022, 10:21 AM

    House retrofitting is not going to work, because the grants are still making it out of reach for most to upgrade and then even if they increased the grants or gave tax breaks, we don’t have the workforce to make the difference in the time needed for this. Government need to put viable alternatives in place for all not just the top 5%!

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Nov 15th 2022, 11:17 AM

    @Edward Reid: house retro fitting should be free to those who need it. There should also be courses up and running training people on how to retrofit houses. Of course this should have happened years ago but the minister of soundbites and no substance has been asleep at tge wheel.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Nov 15th 2022, 10:28 AM

    Bring back the Turf.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Nov 15th 2022, 9:22 AM

    This reporting seems off, I just looked up the index and Denmark is the highest EU country at 4th, Sweden is at 5th.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Nov 15th 2022, 9:26 AM

    @SPQH: They are over doing the reporting. It’s going to get to the stage where people won’t listen anymore and just say screw it. The reports are relentless at this stage.

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    Mute Pat Man
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    Nov 15th 2022, 11:10 AM

    @David Corrigan: The essence of brainwashing, keep repeating the message over and over .Very little balance, resulting in a small number of indoctrinated fanatical supporters and a disillusioned majority.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Nov 15th 2022, 9:25 AM

    Interestingly there is no 1st 2nd or 3rd place as no country has scored high enough it seems! So Denmark sits at highest.

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    Mute Hans Vos
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    Nov 15th 2022, 9:59 AM

    Reading this: it’s about time that we’re opting in.

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    Mute Metaljester
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    Nov 15th 2022, 10:03 AM

    @Hans Vos: more carbon tax is the answer……

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    Mute Hans Vos
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    Nov 15th 2022, 11:26 AM

    @Metaljester: more and better recycling like a lot of other countries is a better answer.

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    Mute Baronvoncass
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    Nov 15th 2022, 3:34 PM

    @Hans Vos: it would be good to see especially for businesses, separate to do with climate change issue though.

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    Mute Baronvoncass
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    Nov 15th 2022, 3:36 PM

    . Energy infrastructure is the way forward. Invest in fast track wind turbines. We need to maximise our resources, and we also do need security of having gas fields available for energy security aswell. Heat pumps for new and major renovations. Insulation grants for the large stock the rest have little alternative to gas and oil central heating, focus on improving insulation in those.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 15th 2022, 6:58 PM

    @Baronvoncass: Would be buying into tidal systems big time also.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 15th 2022, 6:57 PM

    “In transport, long-term patterns of a car-dependent system.”… er, isn’t that how we’ve been politic’d?

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