HUMBLE HITCH
Ex-ESPN star blasts ‘predatory’ towing company as infamous video resurfaces showing heated confrontation
The reporting star also revealed a new way she is treating internet trolls
A FORMER ESPN reporter has reflected on a now 10-year-old video of her confronting a towing company employee.
Initially, the reporter glumly apologized for her word usage - now, the ex-ESPN-er said she was unfairly cast in a negative light.
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In 2015, a towing company released security footage of Britt McHenry, then an ESPN reporter, castigating an employee.
Towing operators snatched McHenry's car in Washington DC in April that year.
Cameras caught McHenry berating the employee's intelligence, social class, body, and teeth.
The towing company released the video of the sports coverage star before ESPN gave McHenry a one-week suspension.
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McHenry initially expressed remorse for the comments in a 2016 interview with Marie Claire.
"I blame myself, but the video is not who I am," she said in the interview.
She was part of a large group of layoffs at the company in 2017. Her job loss was not related to the video.
But McHenry recently said the record didn't cover the whole story.
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In an episode of her podcast, Pump the Brakes, and in clips of the latest episode posted on X on Monday, McHenry pointed the finger back at the tow truck operators.
"[Their video] was highly edited, it was highly doctored," she said.
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"There's a reason that tow truck company never gave up the full video."
McHenry said the company was "predatory" and alleged the company was not following local ordinances.
She claimed the operators forced her to pay her parking fine with cash.
She also added that her mean-spirited words only occurred after the woman behind the counter made rude jabs.
"Nobody cares in real life, but it is hard from a mental health perspective when … one night in your life, you don't act perfect, you get mad, like every human on earth, and it's not only videotaped, but it’s chopped up edited, and put subtitles," she said.
McHenry also claimed that the towing company attempted to sell the video of her to the media.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a "No Parking" zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted "No Parking" sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt - many states have a small window of time where it's acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
She said she would have just paid the company the media fees to "avoid the headache."
McHenry said she faced broad social media backlash after the video started going viral.
She said she is not giving negative commenters the same attention.
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"So, to any commenters or just trolls, I'm calling you all mosquitoes now," she said.
"You're pathetic enough to think you're making a difference."