He was killed by a hit and run driver along with another homeless man he was pushing in a wheelchair. The Tigers stepped up and paid for funeral expenses.
Posted on 02/06/2015 1:59:56 PM PST by Kartographer
Upon getting the car and the key, a dealership employee hopped in the passenger seat to help him get re-acclimated to driving (starting with a button now, and such.) Then Robertson left — because despite all the attention, he still had to get to his 2 p.m. factory shift on time, and nothing stops James Robertson.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
Well as you didn’t read the story some of the trip he takes a bus. But then you would have had the read the story and when was that ever a requirement before a FReeper commented? ;-)
“He got a sensible Ford Taurus.”
He’s gonna be walking again.
Then it isn’t a 21 mile walking commute(see title)
Not to be a wet blanket, but a) does he have a license and b) can he afford the insurance and maintenance fees?
Big gifts come with big price tags for the recipients too
This guy I hope wakes up the $15.00 an hour clowns!
This is Detroit, MI, folks. How long before someone either steals his car or tries to carjack him? He’d better invest in a concealed carry permit, shooting lessons, and a pistol whose caliber begins with “4”. I hope he saved some of those donations to buy auto insurance and his licenses (both operator and auto).
“If he did get $300,000, what can’t he afford?”
That might cover the insurance in Michigan. :-)
It's unfortunate that people around here such as yourself are so filled with negativism that you are willing to publicly cast doubts on a nice story such as this......
The banker who befriended him was interviewed on WJR's Frank Beckman show yesterday morning and he verified all the reported facts regarding Mr. Robertson. When asked how many rides he gave Mr. Robertson, it was well over 60.
The entire trek to work wasn't all done on foot, there was a bus ride involved.
When asked about what he knew about Mr. Robertson, Blake Pollock said that he never pursued it since during their rides together Mr. Robertson never gave much information other than the fact that the house he lived in with his girlfriend was inherited by the girlfriend.
And for the record, in the area where he lives, the house is only worth about $7,000................
that I hope works.......
I would have found a new girlfriend with a house closer to my job 9 years, 11 months and 28 days after I started that commute.
In the final years of my company's stamping plant on Detroit's east side, we had this little 76 year old black guy named James "lookin' good" Robinson who worked in our press shop.
He got the nickname because every single day he showed up for work, he'd pass you by with a smile and say you "lookin' good!".
At the age of 76, until he couldn't work anymore because of illness, he never missed a day, he worked all the overtime that was available, was receiving social security and due to the IRS laws that said he had to start his company pension at the age of 72 1/2 he was receiving that too.
He also had a landscaping company he created that was run by his son.
Unfortunately for Mr. Robinson, while he could have retired years prior, the company was all he had and that's where his friends were. His family treated him like crap as did his son who ran the landscaping business.........
You're absolutely right, Detroit IS filled with many proud people such as Mr. Robertson........
And I too noticed the lack of ebonics. We need many more strong black men of integrity like him throughout the states to set the example for the next generations.
He reminds me, in personality and stature of my dad, an immigrant refugee who earned every modest possession he has. Too proud to accept handouts and refusing to retire at 76 despite his health concerns.
It’s all parents’ responsibility to inspire the next generation, which they happen to be raising. Charles Barkley was right.
Detroit is a funny town that isn’t at all like the stereotypes people push about it. There are some very dangerous neighborhoods but there are very good neighborhoods and lots of neighborhoods that are getting better all the time.
There’s a fast growing hipster community in town for the tech jobs that are coming to Detroit. They have strong libertarian leanings which is a whole lot better than the alternative. The black girl in this video has a detectable ebonic tone but not like some do. She’s becoming typical of the kind of people you’ll run into in the downtown area.
http://www.freep.com/videos/entertainment/2015/02/06/22999325/
Besides, who can’t love an open carry city with restaurants named Guns & Butter or Greedy Greg’s.
I hope his driver’s license hasn’t expired.
This would be FR without ‘Wet Blankets’! Some people see the glass as half full, some see it as half empty and then there are those who see it cracked, dusty and made to government specification by a factory in China .
I suggest you take your complaint to the reporter as I didn’t write it and I am require by FR rules to use the title assigned by the reporting agency.
I think the 21 miles is the round trip walking part of his commute. He rides a bus the rest of the way. It’s something like 7 miles from the bus to his job and 7 miles back, bus then another 3.5 miles from the bus to home (which same walk he’d have taken on his way to the bus to get to work)
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