Late last week we brought you the story of James Robertson, his 21-mile round trip commute to work, and the outpouring of generosity he received from folks around the country. Unfortunately, even though the story showed how many good people there are in the world, the ugliness of jealousy eventually surfaced in a few bad apples around Detroit.
On Tuesday, with the help of a few Detroit police officers, Robertson moved to an apartment temporarily made available to him through an acquaintance of his banker friend Blake Pollock. The place where he had been staying, a Detroit rooming house inherited by his girlfriend, turned out to be slightly messier than it seemed in most articles originally reporting Robertson’s story. Despite what many assumed, Robertson was in fact paying rent at a rate he reported to be $220 every week. On an average week, Robertson’s $10.55/hour wage only nets him $317 after taxes.
The woman who Robertson had called his girlfriend, Tanya Fox, is now being referred to as his “former landlord,” which could hint towards a soured relationship since Robertson’s whirlwind week of media attention. Furthermore, also living at the house were Fox’s ex-husband and their 34-year old son. Not surprisingly, Robertson was reportedly the initiator of this move after approaching both Pollock and the authorities with concerns over his well-being. The Detroit Free Press interviewed Aric Tosqui, a Detroit police Captain, who said Robertson came to him first:
“We had a meeting with him (and) he expressed interest that he did not feel safe.”
It’s clear that many of the people bothering Robertson don’t realize he doesn’t actually have any of the money donated to him yet. He is scheduled to meet with Pollock and Evan Leedy, the young man responsible for the internet donation page that gathered most of the funds, to discuss how to properly allocate Robertson’s resources. It also should be noted that Robertson requested these services and they are not being forced upon him.
The 2015 Ford Taurus, which Robertson received on Friday as a gift from a local dealership, spent Monday night parked in a Detroit police parking lot near Robertson’s former residence.
While it’s not clear just how dire Robertson’s situation was, the car being kept under police watch and his haste in moving are both quite telling. It’s unfortunate that the actions of some compelled Robertson to take such urgent action, but it sounds like he has finally found a comfortable place in life. After all those years of hard work and dedication, Robertson deserves everything that has come his way. Don’t worry James, “hater’s gonna hate!”
