Introducing 'The Apology Line' - from Wondery

UK True Crime Podcast

Personal Journals, History, Drugs, Crime, True Crime, Serial Killer, Murder, Uk, Police, Guns, Fraud, Robbery, Crimepodcast, Society & Culture, Uktruecrime

4.3 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2021

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you could call a number and say you’re sorry, and no one would know…what would you apologize for? For fifteen years, you could call a number in Manhattan and do just that.

This is the story of the line, and the man at the other end who became consumed by his own creation. He was known as “Mr. Apology.” As thousands of callers flooded the line, confessing to everything from shoplifting to infidelity, drug dealing to murder, Mr. Apology realized he couldn’t just listen. He had to do something, even if it meant risking everything.

From Wondery the makers of Dr. Death and The Shrink Next Door, comes a story about empathy, deception and obsession. Marissa Bridge, who knew Mr. Apology better than anyone, hosts this six episode series.

Listen today at http://wondery.fm/UKTrueCrime

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondries' new true crime podcast, The Apology Line, begins with Alan Bridge posting flyers
0:06.0	around New York City, asking people to anonymously apologise for their crimes. Not to God, not
0:12.6	to the police, but to his answering machine. Within hours the call started coming in. People
0:19.4	apologise for stealing, infidelity, lying, and even murder. Alan got dozens of calls from
0:26.1	people claiming to be murderous, but one man stood out, Richie. He was deliberate, measured,
0:33.8	and his calls would leave thousands wondering if he really was the serial killer he claimed
0:38.6	to be. That is, until Richie offered to provide proof of his crimes. I'm about to play
0:45.6	you a preview of The Apology Line, but while you're listening, make sure to subscribe
0:50.6	on Apple podcasts where you can listen early and at free by joining Wondry Plus in The Wondry
0:57.2	app. Wondry, fill the story. The following contains descriptions of violence, including
1:04.8	sexual violence, and may not be suitable for all listeners. Please be advised. It was
1:15.1	early 1981, and I was with a group of friends at a loft in New York City. It was a dinner
1:21.0	party with I think about six, maybe eight of us around the big table. Doug Welch was there
1:27.9	too. Through the huge windows, we could see the lights of the Empire State Building. Rosary
1:33.6	Candles flickered on a curved bookcase that separated the living room from the bedroom.
1:38.6	These gatherings always went late. We were all artists, so we talked about our work, politics,
1:45.1	and how we were surviving in the city. The host was a man named Alan. Toward the end of
1:50.7	the dinner as it was wrapping up, Alan just sort of casually said, would anyone like to
1:57.0	hear the latest that came in today from Apology? Apology was Alan's newest project. Doug's
2:05.2	girlfriend Carrie vaguely remembered it had something to do with people calling a phone
2:10.2	line. Alan held up a cassette tape. Alan was standing and sort of gesticulating, and yeah,
2:17.9	he was excited. And we all kind of said, was sure. Alan walked over to his cassette player,
	...

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