CLEVELAND — News 5 Investigators started getting complaints about a local park and shuttle airport service. They all surround 2 Birds Shuttle and Detail in Cleveland, which the state of Ohio has said should not be operating right now.
“Here’s the Black Sand Beach. The kids had a good time there,” said Joe and Joanne Orichella as they looked through the pictures of their wonderful vacation in Hawaii this past winter.
“The weather was perfect. It was sunny, 84, and no rain,” said Joanne.
'HE WENT BALLISTIC ON US!'
However, when they flew back into Hopkins International Airport, they said 2 Birds Shuttle off West 150th Street left them waiting in the freezing January cold. When the driver eventually did come to the airport, Joe asked why he was late.
“He went ballistic on us,” said Joe “He started throwing f-bombs at us. He called me an 'f-ing a-hole.'”
Joanne said, “Our thing was to just get in the van and pray and just don’t talk to him and see what happens.”
They told us what did happen was the employee just dropped them off at the parking lot’s gate.
“Dumped our luggage off in the snow and then left and went off into his corner,” said Joe.
“At the front gate? Not at your car?” we asked.
“No…I had to go trudge through a foot of snow going up and down the aisles trying to find our car,” he replied.
CONSUMER COMPLAINTS LEAD TO 'F-RATING'
“These complaints are really concerning,” said Ericka Dilworth from the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland. The BBB has given 2 Birds an F-rating. We found numerous other complaints on the BBB’s site as well. “We have one consumer that was left stranded in the middle of the night where she could not reach the business,” said Dilworth. “And it was 1:50 a.m. in the morning.”
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio shows the intrastate license for 2 Birds Shuttle and Detail is suspended and the U.S. Department of Transportation reports the company is not authorized for interstate business either.
NEWS 5 INVESTIGATORS CONFRONT BUSINESS
We called and even wrote 2 Birds asking for comment. No one replied. So, we went to the lot only to find Lisa Greer and her family from Madison, OH, waiting at the front gate to park their car. They couldn’t get in.
“We just might end up driving to the airport and parking at the airport and just eating the cost because I’d rather do that than potentially lose a flight,” said Greer. And that they did, driving off moments after our interview.
About 15 minutes later, a 2 Birds van pulled up. “We’ve been trying to get ahold of you guys,” we said as we approached the van.
The driver identified himself as the owner but would not give us his name.
“Do you know your license is suspended right now? we asked.
“Our license is not suspended,” the guy said.
“Well, according to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio it is and they say you guys shouldn’t even be operating right now,” we told him. “How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know anything about that,” he replied.
We continued to try to get his side of this story. “Do you have any reaction to the many complaints that have been filed?” we inquired.
“I’m at my job,” the man replied.
“Well, when should we contact you if not at your job?” we wondered “Why won’t you talk to us about what’s going on with the business?” we asked.
“I’m at work,” he continued to say.
He was so busy that he pulled into the lot, got on his phone and talked for a while.
Joanne and Joe are talking, too, giving a warning to other potential customers. “From my personal opinion, the 2 Birds can fly south.”
