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Fabricated, Forged and Forgotten: The Moth Radio Hour

Explore episode Jun 16, 2026
Society & Culture
The Forged Bus Pass

Fabricated, Forged and Forgotten: The Moth Radio Hour · Jun 16, 2026 Society & Culture

Judit Samper Albero, a broke Spanish art student in London, forged her bus pass weekly using her artistic skills — and it worked for months. Then one evening a bus inspector caught her mid-ride, and what she thought would be a £20 fine spiralled into arrest, a police cell, a false identity, and six hours of interrogation.

Where this was said

Host Introduction: Fabricated, Forged & Forgotten

At 3:26 · chapter starts 2:46

Jay Allison, producer of The Moth Radio Hour and host for this episode, briefly frames what the audience is about to hear: five true personal stories about the identities people construct, conceal, and sometimes lose. He introduces Judit Sempere Alvaro, noting she told her story at the 2014 Moth Community Showcase at the Housing Works bookstore in New York City. The showcase spotlights stories developed through community workshops, and Judit's — centred on a forged London bus pass — was quickly identified as a favourite.

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