Woman stripped of marathon win, didn't actually run in race
Michael Phelps fails to qualify for 400 free in Arizona
Do as Britt says, not as she does.
Britt McHenry, the foul-mouthed ESPN reporter who was suspended for her bullying tirade, urged her Facebook friends to be kind and compassionate — just days before she verbally attacked Virginia parking lot attendee Gina Michelle.
“Take the high road and be nice to people,” she posted on Facebook on March 29. “Amazing how a small kind gesture can go so far, yet similarly so can the impact of negative words. Don't choose the latter.”
Less than a week later, the 28-year-old reporter mocked an Arlington towing company employee’s education and appearance after her car had been towed, video from April 5 assault showed.
“I’m on television, and you’re in a f---ing trailer, honey,” McHenry told the woman, suggesting the employee was a college drop out. “Lose some weight, baby girl.”
RELATED: US sports reporter suspended over vicious attack on towing attendant
McHenry tweeted — and then deleted — that Advanced Towing was “corrupt” on April 6 and claimed that the company towed her car from the lot in front of the Arlington restaurant where she ate dinner.
ESPN suspended the reporter for a week after video leaked Thursday. McHenry tweeted an apology, saying she let her emotions get the best of her "in an intense and stressful moment."
When approached at the towing company, Michelle said she was too distraugh to talk.
Advanced Towing released a statement Friday evening, saying, “neither Gina, nor our company, have any interest in seeing Britt McHenry suspended or terminated as a result of her comments.”
“She is human and errors in judgment can be made in the heat of the moment.”
After McHenry's comments, an obesity advocacy group called McHenry’s vicious comments hurtful and urged her to apologize directly to the employee.
“It was extremely sad,” James Zervios, vice president of marketing and communications for the Obesity Action Coalition, told the Daily News. "This is not something that should be socially acceptable.”
The Tampa-based non-profit, which advocates against weight discrimination, said this kind of bullying can only be eliminated through education.
“(The video) shows that weight bias is something that’s very common in our society,"Zervios said.
Mean comments aside, McHenry isn’t the only unhappy towing customer. The Arlington towing company has received a steady stream of complaints and negative reviews even before the reporter unleashed her fury.
Advanced Towing — which has just one and a half stars on Yelp — has long been accused of being overaggressive in its parking enforcement and fussy in its business practices.
Local blog ARL Now posted about the seemingly universally hated company in 2010 — prompting nearly 200 comments from furious customers.
“I watched Advanced Towing break into a car tonight prior to towing it,” one commenter wrote.
Another said the company forces customers to pay in exact cash and refuses to give change. Others said their cars had been towed within minutes of parking. More claimed tow truck drivers dangerously speed through parking lots and ignore traffic signs.
“Their drivers are irresponsible, rude and dangerous,” another commenter wrote. “Witnessed one driver nearly run down a man in my parking lot.”
McHenry’s mean girl-style attack sparked outrage after the video went viral — but some of the rage seemed to soften once Arlington drivers realized the towing company she railed against.
“Oh, HOLD UP. The Britt McHenry vid is w predatory Advanced Towing?! I have experience w them & guarantee she had reason to be pissed,” tweeted @mkhammer.
“It would be fun if the outrage turned against @BrittMcHenry yesterday turned into a bigger one against Advanced Towing today,” @lheal chimed in.
