Sieve licence photo gets all-clear

A resident of Vienna angered by authorities has been allowed to wear a sieve on his head in a photograph used for his driving licence.

Niko Alm explained today (Weds) he was furious that officials had no problem with Muslim women wearing headscarves when posing for their driving licence and passport pictures. The atheist decided to don a noodle sieve in 2008. Alm revealed he also wore the cooking utensil when he headed to ID offices in Vienna to apply for a new driving licence in 2008.

The 35-year-old man said clerks initially had no objections. However, a public servant called him up only 10 minutes after he had left the office to tell him that wearing a sieve posed a breach of regulations. Alm decided to try to get a doctor declaring him mentally insane at the time he went to have the photographs taken. The expert examined him to rule he was sane at that time. The doctor also said there were no reasons to ban Alm from driving.

Eventually, city decision-makers found themselves unable to veto Alm’s sieve picture stunt. However, they are accused of taking revenge on him by failing to inform him for nearly two years that he could come and pick up his new driving licence. An anonymous clerk who sympathised with Alm’s approach to the issue rang him after finding out that his request was granted – 21 months after he applied for a new licence.

Alm revealed today he now planned to call on the culture ministry to officially acknowledge the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The parody religion – also called Pastafarianism – was created in the United States six years ago.