“Detroit’s ‘Walking Man’ Walks On”: Vice

reports:

…That’s how it’s been for a decade for James Robertson, Detroit’s Walking Man. Twenty miles a day. One-hundred miles a week. More than 5,000 miles a year. In total, the equivalent of two trips around Earth. In that time, Robertson has never missed a day of work.”I just believe a man should work,” he told me. “Work takes care of your soul. The rest takes care of itself.”

This outlook may have made Robertson rich in spirit, but it has not made him rich in fact. He can’t afford a car; he clears only $320 a week, and auto insurance can top $5,000 a year in Detroit. His landlord charges him $220 a week for the room.

When it’s all said and done, there’s nothing left after groceries and bus fare. That’s how it is in Detroit. Like running on quick sand.

The local newspaper got hold of his story a couple weeks ago. And then the TV. And then the internet. Pictures of a humble, raggedy man shambling through 14 inches of snow. A working class hero. The story went viral.

And that’s when the trouble started.

more (via EWC)