69-year-old Tinder user loses court case to be identified as 49

The man appealed to have his age reduced by 20 years so women would speak to him on Tinder, but was rejected

Hopeful tinder user Emile Ratelband has had a court appeal rejected which would have changed his age down two decades from 69 to 49. The pensioner told the a district court in the Netherlands that he faced discrimination both on dating apps and in the workplace as soon as someone found out his age. Arguing for his identity, he said: "Transgender people can now have their gender changed on their birth certificate, and in the same spirit there should be room for an age change." "When I'm 69, I am limited. If I'm 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I can take up more work. "When I'm on Tinder and it say I'm 69, I don't get an answer. "When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position. Mr Ratelband, born on March 11, 1949, feels as youthful as if he were born exactly two decades later, even claiming that he had scientifically confirmed as much: "I have done a check-up and what does it show? My biological age is 45 years. However the ruling published today said: "The court did not find any reason in Mr Ratelband’s arguments to create new case law in line with the statutory provisions on changes to a person’s officially registered name or gender." While the judge admitted he had sympathy for the case, he argued that if this were legally possible, people could just make up or delete parts of their lives. He said: "Its main reason was that, unlike the situation with respect to a change in registered name or gender, there are a variety of rights and duties related to age, such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school." "If Mr Ratelband’s request was allowed, those age requirements would become meaningless."