-WJLA SCRIPT-

ANCHOR:

WITH HOLIDAY PARTIES, REDSKIN GAMES, AND DECEMBER WEDDINGS, THIS IS A HECTIC TIME OF YEAR FOR LIMOUSINE COMPANIES. BUT WHEN YOU ORDER A LIMO FOR THAT SPECIAL DAY...ARE YOU BEING TAKEN FOR MORE THAN A RIDE? THE NATIONAL LIMOUSINE ASSOCIATION SAYS THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED UPSTART LIMO COMPANIES EVERY MONTH. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW THE ONE YOU HIRE IS PROFESSIONAL AND RELIABLE? THE I-TEAM'S ROBERTA BASKIN IS HERE WITH A REPORT. 

ROBERTA BASKIN:THERE ARE 136 LIMO COMPANIES LISTED IN THE YELLOW PAGES IN SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. AND ACCORDING TO A COUNTY CONSUMER PROTECTION STUDY RELEASED TODAY, MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE ARE NOT LICENSED. AND THAT CAN LEAD TO SOME NOT-SO-SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 

STORY:
MICHELE: I was very angry. I was missing my son's wedding dealing with this problem.

TRACK 1: AMERICAN LIMOUSINE AND BUS SERVICE STRANDED MICHELE KREISS' GUESTS AT HER SON'S WEDDING RECEPTION. MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S CONSUMER WATCHDOG, ERIC FRIEDMAN, FOUND THE LIMO COMPANY WASN'T EVEN LICENSED.

ERIC: You see it's not the exception; it's the majority of companies that aren't licensed.

TRACK 2: MORE THAN 75 LIMOUSINE COMPANIES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY ALONE ARE UNLICENSED. YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE BONDED, INSURED, INSPECTED, OR IF DRIVERS HAD CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.

TRACK 3: TERRY GASCOIGNE HAD TO PICK UP HER STRANDED SON AND HIS FRIENDS AFTER THE SCHOOL PROM BECAUSE POLICE STOPPED THE LIMO DRIVER ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE.

TERRY: It's outrageous, you pay all this money and you're expecting to have your kids safe. It never occurred to me.

TRACK 4: IN THE LAST THREE YEARS THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS REVOKED OR SUSPENDED NEARLY 100 LIMO LICENSES. BUT LOOK IN THE YELLOW PAGES AND YOU'LL STILL FIND PROMINENT ADS FOR 21 OF THEM.

ERIC: You go to a hotel and typically you'll find a yellow page directory and a Bible right next to each other but that yellow page directory is far from a Bible for consumers.

TRACK 5: THE INTERNET IS NO MORE RELIABLE. GOOGLE "LIMOUSINE". AMERICAN DREAM LIMOUSINE POPS UP FIRST, SERVICING MARYLAND, DC, AND VIRGINIA. BUT THE COMPANY ISN'T LICENSED IN MARYLAND.

TRACK 6: AND WHO YOU'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH CAN BE A MYSTERY.

ERIC: It's a little bit like limo limbo. You don't know if it's going to show up. You don't know if they actually have the equipment.

TRACK 7: THAT'S BECAUSE LIMOUSINE COMPANIES ROUTINELY SUBCONTRACT. INSTEAD OF THE 47-PASSENGER BUS MICHELE KREISS ORDERED, SHE SAYS, SHE GOT A DIRTY, SMELLY, WINDOWLESS SHUTTLE BUS.

MICHELE: And I went over to the bus driver and I asked him if he was from this company I had the contract with and he said no, he didn't know that company at all.

TRACK 8: THEN SHE MISSED MOST OF THE WEDDING RECEPTION...SCRAMBLING FOR OTHER TRANSPORTATION.

MICHELE: (roberta) 24, 34 passenger minibuses and 47 and 60 passenger vans so… (michele) And probably Santa Claus' sleigh on there as well but none of it's real.

TRACK 9: SHE COMPLAINED, AND WASN'T TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.

MICHELE: "Thank you. Have a nice day. Sincerely, nobody."

TRACK 10: ERIC FRIEDMAN DIDN'T HAVE MUCH LUCK EITHER.
(Click. They hang up on him.)

TRACK 11: MICHELE KREISS IS BACK PLANNING ANOTHER WEDDING, THIS TIME FOR HER OTHER SON, WHO GETS MARRIED NEXT SPRING.

MICHELE: And he will be married on the beach. And we're going to walk to the hotel. There will be no buses. 

ROBERTA IN STUDIO:

THE PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISOLATED ONE AROUND HERE. IN WESTERCHESTER COUNTY, NY A STING OPERATION NABBED MORE THAN A HUNDRED LIMOUSINES. ONE OUT OF 4 HAD SAFETY OR LICENSING VIOLATIONS. BELONGING TO THE NATIONAL LIMOUSINE ASSOCIATION ISN'T MUCH HELP BECAUSE ANYONE WITH A CAR CAN JOIN...SO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND CHECK OUT A LIMO COMPANY UNDER YOUR STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION'S WEBSITE.