56-Year-Old Detroit Man Walks 21 Miles To and From Work and Never Misses a Day
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The daily grind can be taxing for even the most determined entrepreneurs, but if you need a little pep in your step this week, look no further than Detroit native James Robertson, 56, who braves a 21-mile commute to and from work every single day — on foot.
Robertson, who sets out at 8 a.m., arrives for his factory job at an engineering plant at around 12:30 p.m. after a short bus ride and an eight-mile walk, according to the . Caffeine fuels the journey, as he chugs Mountain Dew and Coke.
When Robertson’s shift ends at 10 p.m., he hops on another bus, follows it up with a 13-mile hike, and typically doesn’t arrive home to his girlfriend until 4 a.m., where he sleeps for a few hours — only to start right back up again.
Perhaps the only thing more impressive than Robertson’s unimaginable will is the fact that he boasts a perfect attendance record at work. “I set our attendance standard by this man,” Todd Wilson, Robertson’s boss at Schain Mold & Engineering, told the Press. “He’s never missed. I’ve seen him come in here wringing wet.”
Related: 8 Tips for an Awesome, Healthier Commute
Robertson has had to endure the commute ever since his 1998 Honda Accord broke down in 2005. In addition to his $10.55 hourly salary, Robertson says he loves the outdoors and being around his co-workers, whom he likens to “a family.” Wilson’s wife even whips up homemade soul food dinners for Robertson every evening.
“I sleep a lot on the weekend,” Robertson told the outlet. “Yes, I do.”
But maybe not for long. Shortly after Robertson’s story garnered national attention, hundreds of people across the country have to offer him cash, bus tickets, bicycles, daily chauffeuring and even a new car.
Most notably, a has raised over $50,000. In addition, a local car dealership has offered Robertson a new car and Honda North America also said it would donate a vehicle. Funds raised would also help cover gas and insurance, the latter of which than anywhere else in the U.S.
Related: Making a 700-Mile Commute Work
The daily grind can be taxing for even the most determined entrepreneurs, but if you need a little pep in your step this week, look no further than Detroit native James Robertson, 56, who braves a 21-mile commute to and from work every single day — on foot.
Robertson, who sets out at 8 a.m., arrives for his factory job at an engineering plant at around 12:30 p.m. after a short bus ride and an eight-mile walk, according to the . Caffeine fuels the journey, as he chugs Mountain Dew and Coke.
When Robertson’s shift ends at 10 p.m., he hops on another bus, follows it up with a 13-mile hike, and typically doesn’t arrive home to his girlfriend until 4 a.m., where he sleeps for a few hours — only to start right back up again.
