Losing your passport is a bit of a pain in the arse. You have to go through the whole process of applying for a new one, paying the fee, and god forbid it affects any upcoming trips you have planned.
Now, imagine if you discovered the whole time you’d been mourning over the loss of your passport, a teenager had been using it as ID to get into pubs, clubs and brothels.
Joe Hunter’s story has gone viral after he shared the hilarious message he got from Sam Cole, 18, who admitted he’d been sharing the ID among he and his friends, but no longer needed it since recently turning 18.
The 21-year-old originally lost his passport on a night out in Halifax two years ago, just before he was due to go on a lad’s holiday to Lanzarote. He was forced to pay for a new one and even reported it as missing to police.
Luckily, Joe was able to see the funny side, and even said ‘fair play to the lad’ for fessing up.
He said:
I was in hysterics when I realised he was serious. I thought ‘what a guy’, I definitely found it funny because it’s something I’d do.
I scrolled down on his Instagram and every single post he had a drink in his hand or he was at some event or on a night out. I’m glad it’s served him well.
He said it’s been passed around so much. Apparently it’s been used in brothels and all sorts of places, so fair play to them.
Student Sam revealed how one of his mates found the passport in the club, and had been using it ever since.
He said:
He passed it onto another one of my mates and then I ended up swapping it with him for an Xbox game when I sold him my Xbox. It’s been passed around and used by about six different people.
I turned 18 on Sunday so I knew I wasn’t going to need it anymore and I had been planning on messaging him a few months ago. I wanted to say thank you because without him even knowing he’d been allowing me to go out to all these different places.
It could have gone either way but I wasn’t really nervous when I sent him the message. It’s just lucky that he took it the right way, he’s a good lad.
We’ve even said we’re going to try meet up for a pint and go out together.
Sam should be grateful Joe is able to find the whole thing pretty amusing, but it’s actually a criminal offence to use false or borrowed ID to get into licensed premises or to buy alcohol.
If caught, penalties can include a fine of up to £5,000 and 10 years imprisonment.
Joe added:
I like the fact that he’s got back in touch with me and revealed where it’s been all this time, I think it’s hilarious just to think that it’s been used by all these different people to have a good time.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk.
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.