greenwitch, do you think that if any of that or even worse happened to you, you would ever say the things she said to another person?
Remember the guy who went to the chic-fil-a and berated and was obnoxious to the cashier there? He was essentially run out of town, fired from his job, etc. A one week suspension seems pretty tame.
I don’t care how unscrupulous the towing company is or how many negative online reviews they have. This young woman behaved abominably and if I were her employer, she would have received a worse punishment than a week off. Regardless of how angry you are, saying the things she said, to ANYone, is an awful way to portray yourself, especially if you are a public figure. The excuse that she said those things because she was stressed, and in the heat of the moment, is pathetic. She clearly has a hateful streak and it came out on that video. She should be ashamed of herself.
What makes it all more ironic is, back in February she posted this on her Facebook wall for the public to see:
So now she’s a hypocrite, as well as a spoiled brat.
My daughter is the head of PR for an internationally known tech company. Her name goes out on a lot of media packets, etc., and she has working relationships with journalists at the top printed media outlets She is smart enough to know that her image could be ruined if she pulled something like this and someone was able to link her back to her employer. She would very likely get more than a week’s suspension. And she just knows better.
I don’t know…
Look, if it were my own D I’d be super upset. Yet, at the same time, I have a problem with the idea that things people do when they are away from work which are not illegal–maybe less than nice, but not illegal–can be the basis for workplace disciplinary action.
I have been rude–by this board’s standards–to people who call with what are obvious scams. I often say things to them like “Why are you doing this? Why not get an honest job?” Only once has the person on the other end of the line said “This is an honest job and why are you judging me?” I think MOST of them KNOW they are involved in an illegal racket.
Comments on weight, teeth, etc., seem very different to me.
Still, I doubt you can work for a company that engages in unethical conduct without being aware of it. So I disagree with those who say it’s wrong to take one’s anger out on the cashier. The cashier is the only representative of the company you normally interact with.
I am also absolutely appalled by the comments about the reporter’s silicone breasts, Barbie doll looks or statements that she didn’t get hired for her journalism degree. IMO, these comments are WORSE than the ones the reporter made. Presumably, the cashier really was overweight and really did have bad teeth. There is no way anyone posting here can know the reporter has fake breasts or didn’t need a journalism degree to get her job. Criticizing her manners is perfectly okay. But criticizing her hair, breasts, etc. is just doing exactly the same thing that she’s being criticized for doing.
People get mad and lose control. It happens. There shouldn’t be horrible consequences for being human: no one was physically injured and no laws were broken. The punishment was fine.
The difference, btw, with the Chick-fil-A guy is he did that on purpose and posted it. I think the reaction was absurd but an intentional act is not the same as one committed in the heat of passion. That’s part of the law for a reason; passion is an extenuating or mitigating circumstance while acting with premeditation is an aggravating circumstance.
I find it ironic that many people on this board are making comments about the perpetrator’s body, intelligence, job usefulness, etc. that are along the same lines as her despicable comments. If the towing company and clerk’s unknown comments did not justify the vitriol – and I don’t think they did – then why do people feel entitled to lob the same sort of vitriol against her? Silicone sacks? Bimbo? Waste of a Medill education? Really?
If you think prolonged public excoriation on the Internet is not every bit as hurtful as a 30-second private exchange, I totally disagree with you.
And to head off any attack, I’m not an apologist for this woman. But calling someone nasty names while at the same time saying there is no excuse for calling someone nasty names is, well, ironic and inconsistent.
Someone asked if I would say such things. I wouldn’t. At least I would have to think I wouldn’t no wonder what the provocation was. But I would be worse. I would spend all my money and my time to bury this company if they treated me badly and towed my car illegally. If they did that to one of my daughters, I would go to war. War can be cold and controlled and that is the kind that really causes trouble.
The reporter has a job that probably includes some wording about hurting the image of the company including behaviors off the job. So they are justified in punishing her. If her ratings go down they will cut her. If the ratings go up she will get a raise and exploit the bad girl image.
Mean people seem to have no problem winning the ratings war and the corporate war at this time.
However, as we all know character is defined by what we do all day everyday. Her behavior, to me, was very mean. Her character takes a hit. But who cares? Does it matter to her?
It would be helpful to see the unedited, un- “rearranged” video. It doesn’t excuse her behavior, but might tell us “the rest of the story”.
Given the reputation of this company from what has been reported here, this dispatch lady has probably been ripped a new one/verbally assaulted/cussed out many times, and has both videotaped them all for evidence/safety reasons and has learned how to deal with it, just as collection agents learn to deal with verbally abusive individuals. What a difficult job to have.
I doubt it matters to her other than the impact (if any) it may have on her career. Someone who talks in such a demeaning way to someone she obviously thinks is below her is showing their true character.
No matter the reputation of the towing company, that level of personal attack is disgusting. Mad and stressed is no excuse. I’ve been mad before, but can’t imagine ever making such nasty personal remarks to anyone.
They are buried already. Its one thing to have angry toweees complain on yelp. Its another to draw national attention to your business practices that may not stand up under scrutiny. It sounds like they make their money contracting with private businesses to tow away improperly parked cars, but who wants to admit that they contract with these people now? And do they get paid also by the company who owns the lot where they towed from, or do they pay a fee to that company for the right to operate there?
I’m betting that the number of complaints against them explodes as other people see this. The out-of-the-woodwork-phenomenon we saw with Bill Cosby might rise to a new level here. And I assume they have to be “licensed” to do this business (maybe not, but you’d think so).
The rant wasn’t honoring herself, but I think the greatest damage will turn out to have been self-inflicted by the towing company. Its already beginning. And it appears to be well-founded.
There’s another very very interesting commentary from nearly three years ago that I think is a blog, so I can’t link to it, but take a google at Brad Kanus, Predatory Towing in Clarendon. He actually thinks that they target women.
This seems to be a lose-lose situation, as it probably should be. Both the reporter and the slimeball towing co are getting their come-uppance. My s had his car towed once when he had PAID the parking in one of the metal boxes where you stick the $ in the associated space slot. There was apparently also some electronic parking meter thing for the lot but it wasn’t working, but apparently that was the preferred way to pay (which did not work). The experience was a scummy as this VA company sounds. The employees were horrible, unavailable, unhelpful and uncaring. He remained polite, though angry, throughout the ordeal and attempt to rectify it and get his $ back. Three guesses who didn’t show up in small claims court, but he was never able to get his $ from them. These businesses are disgusting, but that said, it doesn’t excuse rude behavior-- on either side of the equation.
At some point early on, after the “reporter” has already issued some insults she says “I can barely stand to be in this place,” and the clerk says, “Well let’s get you out of here quickly then.” After some more personal insults by the reporter, the clerk can be heard saying something about the reporter “touching up her roots.” That’s when the reporter really loses it.
My feeling is that she brought it on herself by saying she was on tv, and by being the first one to launch into personal insults.
I think any woman who is or has been overweight will tell you that the FIRST thing a certain kind of person will say to put you down and in their mind invalidate anything you might say is some variation on “You’re fat.” Like that trumps every possible thing.
Yes I agree with you Consolation…an overweight person can lose weight , but how does one with an ugly heart make them self better ? Not by a scripted response because they were caught and outed. And I don’t think that saying she needs her roots done is as offensive as what this " reporter " did . She really cut to the core insulting her education level , socioeconomic status, as well as physical appearance. I don’t happen to think it’s as hurtful to be called a Barbie Doll ( yup that was me ) is as bad as the hurtful comments she hurled at this poor lady , who likely gets verbal abuse every day.
According to TMZ, looks like there are some co-workers at ESPN who would like to see her gone:
http://www.tmz.com/2015/04/18/britt-mchenry-divide-at-espn-several-employees-want-her-fired/
The missing teeth remarks also really get me. Has it occurred to the “reporter” that having missing teeth is a matter of lack of access to dentistry, not personal choice? (Unlike her choice to be a bottle blonde…
)
In the pictures of her with the professional hair and make-up done I “think” she has a look that a lot of men would find very attractive - although I’d be interested in some of the men weighing in on that. But in the video? She looks like any other reasonable looking 20 something year old. Certainly not some raving natural beauty. I think the whole ESPN thing as gone to her head.
The teeth comment really got to me as well. I have always had terrible teeth, very weak enamel. For a while in my 20s after having abscesses on the front teeth, they became discolored and I was very selfconsciuos, covering my mouth up and not smiling much. Once I could afford it, I had crowns. I have since spent thousands on crowns and even implants (not just for appearance but so I can eat - I think i have one natural tooth left). We’re not affluent, but could manage to pay for it with some considerable sacrifice. If someone had made comments like that to me, I would have been devastated. I was already self conscious enough. Luckily I never ran into anyone that nasty.