Usually, when Pastafarians wear strainers on their heads for a driver’s license picture, they end up with the Reddit-bait photo op they wanted, which is either amusing or stupid, depending on your perspective. But when they’re denied that opportunity, it raises questions about whether a belief qualifies as silly or serious.

In Surrey, British Columbia, Obi Canuel wanted to renew his license while wearing a colander, but he was rejected:

“The truth is sometimes I have the spiritual inkling to wear the colander and I don’t think [the Insurance Corporation of B.C.] should be making decisions about what kind of religious headgear is appropriate or not,” Canuel told CTV Vancouver.

Canuel was able to wear it, however, when he got his B.C. Services card:

The reason for the rejection is extremely vague, with ICBC explaining that its head cover policy was intended to “strike a balance between respect for the driver’s religious beliefs and a need to preserve the integrity of the licensing system.” But you could also argue they’re making a judgment call they shouldn’t be in the position to make.

You can watch Canuel explain his dilemma in a video he posted to YouTube earlier this month:

I don’t know how anyone could see this as anything but serious. I mean, there’s a video and everything.

(Thanks to Steven for the link)



