Carol Costello, CNN Anchor, Loses Cool Over Traffic In Atlanta Snow Storm (VIDEO)
CNN anchor Carol Costello lost her temper with Atlanta officials including Mayor Kasim Reed after the city was gridlocked in traffic due to a surprise snow storm this week.
The broadcaster was interviewing Mayor Reed on live television Wednesday when tensions ran high. Costello, much like many Atlanta residents, had been stuck in her car for hours after a freak snow and ice storm crippled the Deep South on Tuesday.
"You know how angry people are at you," Costello opened, questioning Reed during the newscast.
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Reed denied knowledge of any anger directed toward him, and reminded Costello more than once to "be fair." Then, when Costello noted the dangerous situations with people stuck in their cars, Reed replied, "That's easy to say from your anchor seat."
"No," Costello hotly retorted. "I was stuck out in the traffic. I was one of those people."
Reed shot back, "If you put up CNN cameras it looks pretty good outside of CNN," before Costello interrupted, "Right now it does." Watch the contentious interview here.
Following the interview with Reed, Costello explained her anger.
"I was amazed that he kept passing the buck- pointing to fingers everywhere but at himself," she said, according to the Associated Press. "I think that's where my frustration came from. I wanted him to say, 'I'm angry and frustrated at the response and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.' He didn't say that."
Many Atlanta drivers were even stranded in their cars overnight after the rare Southern snowstorm, which has caused at least 13 deaths, according to USA Today. Although Costello was spared those extreme situations, it took her three hours to travel two miles to her home on Tuesday from the news network's Atlanta headquarters.
"Being a citizen of Atlanta and caught in the mess, I know what it felt like… I wanted to get answers from the man who was supposed to be protecting me from that and I didn't get that," Costello concluded.
There were over 1,000 traffic accidents in Atlanta on Tuesday. Among those affected by the heavy traffic conditions was even a pregnant woman who was forced to give birth in her car.
