Austrian "Pastafarian" Gets License Wearing Pasta Strainer As Head Covering

In Austria, Niko Alm, an atheist who says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has been successful in getting authorities to issue him a drivers license with him wearing a pasta strainer as a head covering in his photo. According to BBC today, Alm decided to claim the head covering was required by his belief in "pastafarianism" after he read that one could wear a head covering in a license photo only for religious reasons.  Police, however, say that the only requirement is that the photo show the driver's face uncovered, which Alm's did. Alm said that after he applied, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to determine his mental fitness to drive.  Alm says it took 3 years for him to get the license, but police say it has been ready since 2009, but was never picked up.