This is the story of how Austria came to embrace the pasta headgear. Being a symbol of religious faith in the Pastafari movement Niko Alm was allowed to show a pasta strainer on his driver’s license. The full story, part 4.
2009-04-02
It’s prohibited to to wear a headgear on the photography of your driving license. The only exception is for religious reasons. But this exception is discriminating. From a religious point of view, persons are better off just because of their ideology. For that reason, I wanted to challenge public authorities and handed in a photo, on which I was wearing a pasta strainer as my headgear.
This is a testcase in two points:
1. I’ve no religious denomination and demand for my basic right of equal treatment
2. I’m a Pastafarian and therefore also devotee of a church or religious community (Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster) that is not accredited by the law. Nevertheless I conform with the criterium: „for religious reasons“
My plan was to confront public authorities with this statement expecting a denial using the photo for my driving license. But it did not come so far. The magistrates accepted my photo without any words. Except for a call in which they told me that the photo could not be used they did not announce for a long time. They also ignored my request for a written statement.
In February I performed a citation of the BH Gänserndorf (regional administrative unit). I was amazed when I found out that it was a citation to a public health officer who should test whether I’m insane or not. I don’t want to comment the conversation based on private opinions but I will abstract the expertise: I am officially not insane! Nice to know.
What happened?
1. I handed in a pass photography on which I was wearing a headgear. Upon being questioned on the pasta strainer I declared religious reasons.
2. I didn’t receive a statement that informs me about the reasons why my request is denied
3. Instead I get a citation to a public health officer, because they take me for insane
4. I am officially not insane waiting for further steps
to be continued
The full story of the holy driver’s license, pt.1 to pt.∞.
