Colander Boy blows holes in law

Vienna, Austria - Plastic pasta strainers are now considered suitable religious headgear in Austria... by the driving licence authorities, at least.



Three years after applying for a driving licence an Austrian Niko Alm has at last received the laminated card complete with an upturned pasta strainer on his head.



ALM PULLS A LEG



Nothing to worry about: the authorities ruled the kooky colander "a suitable religious accessory for a Pastafarian".



Alm, who describes himself as "an entrepreneur", told the Austria Press Agency he had the idea when he read that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for "confessional" reasons.



Alm (the atheist) says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted "faith" whose members call themselves Pastafarians and whose "only dogma... is the rejection of dogma", according to its website.



Accordingly, Alm sent in an application for a driving licence in 2008 along with a picture of himself with a colander on his head. The stunt got him an invitation to see a doctor to check his mental fitness to drive and after three years his efforts have paid off.



He now wants to apply for Pastafarianism to become a faith officially recognised in Austria.











AFP