Austrian driver allowed 'pastafarian' headgear photo ("Religious" demands)

BBC ^

[marthemaria]

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons.

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

Later a police spokesman explained that the licence was issued because Mr Alm's face was fully visible in the photo.

"The photo was not approved on religious grounds. The only criterion for photos in driving licence applications is that the whole face must be visible," said Manfred Reinthaler, a police spokesman in Vienna.

He was speaking on Wednesday, after Austrian media had first reported Mr Alm's reason for wearing the pasta strainer.

After receiving his application the Austrian authorities had required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.

According to Mr Reinthaler, "the licence has been ready since October 2009 - it was not collected, that's all there is to it".

The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years a go as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

In the same spirit, Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card

[dayglored]

Long Live Flying Spaghetti Monster!!

[Norm Lenhart]

I’m more of a Sub Genius kinda guy. JR Bob Dobbs and Slack have it all over airborne Italian meals ;)

[dr_lew]

Bob says scream as loud as you can right now!

[Mycroft Holmes]

I, for one, welcome our new Glutinous Overlords /.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Wearing the Holy Colander.

Chow for paragraph eater.

[Mycroft Holmes]

And the ever popular Holy Tri-corner, for those of a Colonial Bent.

Chow for paragraph eater.

[Krankor]

I wear one, but not for religious reasons or, for that matter, to make any kind of “statement”. I just like the way it looks

[2ndDivisionVet]

Okay, but did he speak Austrian?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Common story in kingdom goes that Saudi Arabia had some of the highest auto accident rates in the world and wanted to find the cause. So they hired a German company to find out why. The company determined that most accidents were caused by Muslim headgear interfering with driver's peripheral vision and recommended that men not wear it while driving. After much thought about the findings those in charge came to the decision that the best solution would be to fire the company.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Is that a good idea - with all the cannibalism going on?

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Italians, of which I'm one, have a different name for it:

(In my best Italian dialect) Spaghetti stoppa, watta go head!

[PowderMonkey]

Children of the Corn. Don't even think of telling them it's not religious headgear...

[Squantos]

Me thinks he strains his brain to much ....

[shelterguy]

“”Okay, but did he speak Austrian?”””

Yup. G’day mate, let’s throw another shrimp on the barbi.

[Ezekiel]

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

He needs to lay off the sauce.

[P.O.E.]

I don't think the government should require self-identification of potheads, but it would sure clarify things.

[Daffynition]

Just another run-o-the-mill....

[6SJ7]

Colander Guy has Carmen Miranda rights, you know!