CAA investigating after tow truck operator calls police on stranded family

[TowNews]

 

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has launched an investigation after a tow truck operator called police on a Black Pickering family, leaving them stranded on the side of the road last weekend, nearly two hours away from their home.

 

Part of a confrontation was captured on camera, moments before police arrived and after the family said the driver had been verbally abusive towards them. CAA claims it was the other way around.

 

Brianne Smith says the CAA operator left the scene before police arrived, alleging that prior to their altercation he was growing increasingly “irate, aggressive and verbally abusive” during the service call that lasted less than one hour, repeatedly screaming at her mother and 80-year-old grandmother.

 

“It was a complete abuse of power,” Smith said. “He just wanted to inconvenience my family. He was comfortable with leaving us on the side of the road right from the beginning.”

 

Part of the altercation was posted to the 29-year-old’s Instagram page which appears to show her confronting the driver, repeatedly telling the employee, “I thought you were calling the cops.”

 

Smith also questioned why he was refusing to tow the vehicle, telling him he’s going to be fired and his face will be in the news. That’s when the uniformed CAA employee can be seen aggressively walking towards her, screaming for her to “F*** off and get away from me now.”

 

“I was wearing a mask, and he charged towards me without wearing a mask, and he’s using profane language,” Smith said.

 

Smith said she was not the aggressor in this situation, and the 45-second video doesn’t tell the whole story of how the CAA employee had been treating them prior to this interaction. She says she only said these things to him during the recording towards the end.

 

She added when they reached the checkpoint, he was shouting at them to leave his car even though they told him her grandmother was having a hard time getting out.

 

“What prompted me to start rolling was the fact that we had taken all that abuse moments prior to this situation,” she said. “The way he spoke to my grandma, yelling at my grandma, yelling at my mom. Using curse words.”

At that point, the operator contacted the other tow truck driver who was transporting the vehicle, telling him they would not be transporting the vehicle

 

CityNews has been in contact with a spokesperson for CAA South Central Ontario since late Wednesday evening, requesting a statement or interview in response to what happened. The initial statement from the company stated that the incident was regrettable, and they were looking to reach out to the member to resolve the issue.

 

The spokesperson claims the family took issue with the fact CAA would not drive them home due to COVID-19 restrictions, that they would therefore have to pay their own cab fare and that their tow was cancelled due to their “harassing behaviour.”

 

On Friday, the company requested an in-person interview with CityNews.

 

“That dispute escalated and the driver felt he was being called names and harassed,” said Tony Tsai, vice-president of Corporate Communications and Services with CAA South Central Ontario. “He was trying to help them to keep them safe and felt that they were treating him in a manner that was troubling.”

 

Tsai called the video disturbing, noting that it was an isolated incident but said the driver’s behaviour was “normal” in the vehicle. He also called him a good driver, adding there have never been complaints about him.

 

Smith called those claims false and they were not verbally harassing or demeaning the driver, adding that they were okay to pay for the cab ride but were inquiring because under other circumstances, transportation would have been provided.

 

Rather she adds, the CAA operator became irate because they were asking this question.

 

“He yelled to get the F out of my car,” Smith said. “He turned around and screamed in my mom and grandma’s face, like get out of my car. He’s screaming at them and threatening to call the police.”

 

At 9:41 p.m., CAA said the tow supervisor, who was “traumatized,” called the dispatcher who then authorized that the call be canceled.

 

Shortly after, at 9:53 p.m., the tow supervisor called back to explain the situation and “cancel the call.” Five minutes later, at 9:58 p.m. the member, Smith’s mother, called CAA because the family saw their vehicle being unloaded while driving by in their taxi.

 

Smith adds that the driver wouldn’t communicate to her where her vehicle would be dropped off, neither did the company and they only found out by “fluke.”

 

That’s also the time the OPP were called by the operator.

 

“I don’t know how three women, one extremely elderly with a bad knee can come off as threatening,” Smith said. “We were with him for all of five minutes. It didn’t make any sense.”

 

Tsai said they were going to inform the family of where their vehicle was being taken and arrange for a new tow, but the family called them first. He also adds they were arranging for another tow operator to come to the scene but then cancelled that call. The family claims they were never told of this.

 

In one of the email responses, the spokesperson had also said the family was yelling at the second driver and calling him names.

 

Tsai has since clarified, saying that the driver just “witnessed” their interaction at the lot.

 

He added the operator called police to de-escalate the situation, something the company empowers drivers to do in situations.

 

“He was losing control of the scene,” Tsai said. “So he wanted to call for some assistance.”

 

The OPP tells CityNews officers have spoken with both parties and they will not be investigating.

 

However, CAA has now launched an investigation, which included interviewing both drivers and said they will also be speaking with the family to get their side and ensure this doesn’t happen again.

 

“This was not an outcome we were happy with,” Tsai said. “We would never cancel a service on anyone for no good reason. So we really want to learn from this.”

 

Smith said they paid $600 for another tow truck company to pick up their vehicle at the lot.

 

“In a gesture of good will,” the company said they are offering to reimburse those fees.

 

RESOURCE LINK with video

[TowZone]

The story is like someone simply through it together with very little research into the details. Had it been better reported a conclusion could be decisive. Without further details this is all we have to go on.

 

1) the CAA contractor was dispatched to a stranded motorist.

 

2) Due to Covid following.as policy set by CAA the stranded motorist needed to find transportation.

 

3) It seems due to the location the CAA contractor sent a second truck to transport the motorist to a location they could get a ride.

 

4) We can assume the CAA Member demanded the Tow Operator cover the cost of transportation and refuse to except the ride.

 

5) Just what escalated this Tow Truck Operator to rspond in such a manner is not clear as he was not interviewed or declined.

 

In Closing: This is an issue with lack of Customer Relations Training in this Industry. This is not the fault of the Tow Operator we must discuss how to deescalate such situations with Tow Truck Operators. Otherwise we are sending them into to situations they are not prepared to deal with. I often forget they Tow Operators do not have my many years and numerous situation to fall back on. Number One you cannot let anyone get to you or under your skin.

 

My motto is: "Patience is a Virtue"

 

Perhaps we have a member than has those missing details. 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

This has got to be one of the most half assed, bits n pieces, unable to follow news "reporting" I personally have ever seen. It is difficult to follow, and impossible to even try to make an assesment on what has happened. 

There is no talent in media anywhere anymore..

[rreschran]

I believe this incident could have been corrected at the Club's level by having CAA call-takers thoroughly and completely advise the member they wouldn't be allowed to ride with the tow operator; maybe text to them an attachment for them to read during the dispatch process? The entire motoring public doesn't know or understand Covid restrictions. While the question of being transported from the scene was this member's reasonable request, her attitude and demeanor was more that of entitlement and, "Who's gonna' pay for the taxi?" I watched this video closely and came away with mixed emotions. First and foremost ... this cannot and should NOT be reviewed as an, "issue of color" that's initiated by the member AND the media. What does color have to do with this situation? This interraction is a typical heated example of how easily people are offended and how over-sensitive they are. I found her to be the aggressor who referred to the tower as, "There's something wrong with you," "You're like sick", and, "You're mentally ill", where she's raised the level of confrontation by verbally attacking him. She continued with other verbal threats of him losing his job and the video, "Going all over." No person deserves to be treated with disrespect, harsh words and intentional prodding. It's easy to see though her phoney presentation; noting she doesn't act the same way when the camera's rolling does she? 

 

I believe the tower responded in whatever manner he could based on his own lack of training and elevated emotions when name calling got the best of him. His was a natural response for untrained persons. His was a natural response for anyone simply trying to do their job. Accordingly, with all the interpersonal interraction training tow operator's receive (not) in the industry and from auto clubs, his response was understandable although unexceptable. I'm confident that the tow company was doing what they could to satisfy the member, contacting a supervisor, sending another truck, etc., but, we all know that you CAN'T please every customer all the time.

 

I'm hoping to see that CAA continues to handle this appropriately in-support of the current Covid climate and Covid restrictions or there might be a huge backlash from service providers. I believe there's minimal fault of the tow operator and there's no video footage of the initial contact prior to escalation. If CAA needs help investigating this, give me a call, but, know this up-front ... I agree with Mr. Tsai's comments and I'd assign minimal fault with the tower. Sure, he could have handled the situation in a more professional manner, but so could have the member. This is the reality of the business misconception that, "the customer's alway's right." Kudo's to Mr. Tsai for his careful representation and response to the media in an attempt to appease all parties involved. I thought he did a good job representing CAA.         R.

[TowZone]

OK, so we can acknowledge something went wrong. There are pieces missing we need to see the video from the tow truck drivers cell phone. Obviously he was capturing this on his own camera. What I find disturbing is the driver rushing up on the CAA Member. What Prompted that out of control reaction. I feel something transpired during this tow, either with the driver towing the vehicle or the driver transporting the 3 women. No I am not going to say Black women as that should not have been an issue. Obviously the woman felt it was and is attempting to build a narrative on it.

 

Hopefully we can follow up on this as a training opportunity.