Photo: AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION
Although some countries don't allow hats to be worn in driver's license photos, while others don't even condone smiling or beards, a Massachusetts lady has managed to do the impossible.
Citing religious motives, a woman from Lowell, Massachusetts, managed to convince the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to let her wear a spaghetti strainer on her head in the state-issued driver's license.
Back in August, Lindsay Miller was denied a renewed license by the RMV for wearing a colander on her head for the driver's license photo, but this sparked a legal battle which she apparently won last week.
“They were kind of laughing at me,” Miller told the Boston Globe. “I thought of other religions and women and thought that this was not fair. I thought, ‘Just because you haven’t heard of this belief system, [the RMV] should not be denying me a license.’ ”
Miller filed an appeal to the initial RMV decision and then enlisted the help of the Secular Legal Society, which is a network of attorneys that work on behalf of the American Humanist Association.
That didn't do much good in the beginning, as the Registry of Motor Vehicles first canceled Miller's appeal in October. It is yet unclear if pressure from the lobbyists or the Secular Legal Society made them reconsider, but since last week, Lindsay Miller is the proud owner of a valid driver's license with a photo of her wearing a pasta strainer like a turban.
In case it wasn't obvious by now, Miller chose this specific kitchen utensil because she is a Pastafarian Atheist, closely related to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster social movement. Although some consider it a real religion, most media calls it a parody religion, along with Dudeism, Eventualism or followers of the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
Don't think this is an isolated case, though, as tens of others have won the legal right to be shown in their driving license photos wearing colanders. Apparently, it all started in 2011, when an Austrian atheist managed the very same feat after a three-year legal battle with the system. Austrian regulations, like in many other countries, only allow certain types of headgear in official photos when it's worn for religious reasons. All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
Back in August, Lindsay Miller was denied a renewed license by the RMV for wearing a colander on her head for the driver's license photo, but this sparked a legal battle which she apparently won last week.
“They were kind of laughing at me,” Miller told the Boston Globe. “I thought of other religions and women and thought that this was not fair. I thought, ‘Just because you haven’t heard of this belief system, [the RMV] should not be denying me a license.’ ”
Miller filed an appeal to the initial RMV decision and then enlisted the help of the Secular Legal Society, which is a network of attorneys that work on behalf of the American Humanist Association.
That didn't do much good in the beginning, as the Registry of Motor Vehicles first canceled Miller's appeal in October. It is yet unclear if pressure from the lobbyists or the Secular Legal Society made them reconsider, but since last week, Lindsay Miller is the proud owner of a valid driver's license with a photo of her wearing a pasta strainer like a turban.
In case it wasn't obvious by now, Miller chose this specific kitchen utensil because she is a Pastafarian Atheist, closely related to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster social movement. Although some consider it a real religion, most media calls it a parody religion, along with Dudeism, Eventualism or followers of the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
Don't think this is an isolated case, though, as tens of others have won the legal right to be shown in their driving license photos wearing colanders. Apparently, it all started in 2011, when an Austrian atheist managed the very same feat after a three-year legal battle with the system. Austrian regulations, like in many other countries, only allow certain types of headgear in official photos when it's worn for religious reasons. All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
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