A South Australian atheist who successfully had his gun licence printed with a photo of him wearing a colander on his head has been forced to undertake a psychological test to prove he is fit to own firearms.
Guy Albon, a 30-year-old disability support worker in Adelaide had his four guns and his licence confiscated after police became suspicious of his strange photo.
When he had his licence renewed last year, Mr Albon said he decided to “have a bit of fun” when asked about his religion, and declared himself a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a satirical movement set up in the US with the intention of opposing religion.
Following the lead of a fellow Pastafarian in Europe, Mr Albion successfully argued he should be allowed to wear the colander in his licence photo because it was a religious head piece.
He is believed to be the first Australian to successfully have a licence printed with a colander on their head, a feat also achieved recently by a New Zealand man who this week spoke to media after a photo of his driver’s licence went viral.
“The law stipulates you can have something on your head … but you have to have your entire face uncovered and if the headgear is being worn it has to have some religious significance,” Mr Albon said.
After convincing the woman who took his photo at the transport department he was allowed to wear the colander, Mr Albon finally had his unique licence.
It wasn’t until six months later, in about June last year, when he submitted paperwork to have his licence classification changed that police became nervous about allowing a man with a colander on his head access to firearms.
He said two uniformed officers visited his home and seized his licence and four firearms – two rifles and two handguns worth about $2000 in total – until a psychiatrist confirmed he was safe to own weapons.
Despite passing the test, he was told the licence with the colander photo had been destroyed and he would have to be photographed again, this time without the headpiece.
A frustrated Mr Albon maintains he is legally allowed to wear the colander in his licence photo. But, at the risk of losing his licence again, he conceded to having a normal photo taken for the renewal.
Mr Albon said he followed the Pastafarian movement in part as a gimmick but also to highlight the freedoms allowed to religions.
He continues to subscribe to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and has even agreed to help moderate a social media group dedicated to the movement.
In the next few months, Mr Albon will need to renew his driver’s licence and has vowed to wear a colander on his head for that photo, too.
