A Cambridge woman says her dashcam footage showed a tow truck driver leaning out his window to scream a racist slur at her after a confrontation at an intersection. Bostonian Towing Inc. says it fired the driver immediately once it reviewed the video.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on October 24 at Bishop Allen Drive and Norfolk Street in Cambridge, according to Boston 25 News. Accounts of the intersection itself differ slightly: boston.com described the dashcam video as showing a car approaching a three-way stop where one-way Norfolk Street meets Bishop Allen Drive, while Boston 25 News described it as a four-way stop. Both outlets agree on what happened next — as two Bostonian Towing trucks passed through the intersection, the woman behind the wheel, believing she had the right of way, honked at them for not stopping.
What followed was captured on her dashcam. The second tow truck followed without stopping, and the driver leaned out the window and yelled a racist slur aimed at her, according to the same boston.com report. The clip, which the outlet said had drawn more than 38,000 Instagram views, quickly circulated and prompted a response from the company.
Driver Describes Fear and Disbelief
The woman who recorded the video asked to remain anonymous. She told Boston 25 News she was scared and shocked that this could happen in Cambridge. She said she believes anti-Asian hate spiked during the pandemic and has persisted since, and that the current climate has emboldened this kind of behavior.
She is now encouraging the Asian community and other minority groups to get dashcams or other protective devices, the station reported. Still, she voiced skepticism about the sincerity of the company's response, telling boston.com she did not think there would have been any consequences if the incident had not been made public.
Company Says It Acted the Same Day
Bostonian Towing, located at 162 Alewife Brook Parkway in Cambridge, said it reviewed the dashcam footage and terminated the employee effective immediately, adding that the former worker is no longer affiliated with the company. In a statement reported by Boston 25 News, the company said it was appalled and disgusted by the racist, hateful and unacceptable language used by the individual.
The company also said it had no knowledge that a representative would display discriminatory behavior, and said racism, discrimination and hate have no place in its workplace, according to boston.com. Bostonian Towing apologized to the targeted individual, the Asian community and anyone else hurt or affected, while acknowledging, in the station's account, that an apology alone does not undo the harm caused.
The company said it remains committed to respect, dignity, accountability and professionalism, and stated there is no excuse for racism. It also expressed solidarity with all communities, particularly the Asian community targeted by the remarks.
Similar flashpoints have surfaced elsewhere in the towing and transport industry. In the United Kingdom, a Blaydon-based taxi firm, Local Taxis, has publicly said the frequent use of racial slurs toward its drivers is not acceptable, according to the BBC — a reminder that drivers on both sides of such exchanges can find themselves targets of bigotry on the road.
No information has been released about whether police opened any investigation into the Cambridge incident, and this remains a developing story with further updates expected.
