# Body Art - Am I Too Old Fashioned ?



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

I don't abhor tattoos per se and actually think some look ok, I even came close to getting a leg tattoo a good few years back, but for many years my Police employer had a rule of 'no visible tattoos' while on duty. This left hand, neck and face as absolute no go areas.
Many colleagues were ex forces and had tattoos that were hidden by clothing, so were never an issue and any lower arm tattoos were hidden under long sleeved shirts.

More recently and depending on your view point, there has either been an erosion of standards, or a relaxation of draconian standards and visible tattoos are now acceptable on duty, with no necessity to cover them up. There is still a ban on lewd and offensive tattoos.

I accept seeing the occasional arm tattoo at work, but some of the younger generation are now displaying full lower arm sleeves, as well as hand, wrist and neck tattoos. 

I'm yet to see one of my female colleagues sporting a full arm sleeve, but it's quite common to see wrist, finger and even small neck tattoos appearing ?

Tattoos used to stand the wearer out from the crowd in society, but it seems that amongst the younger generation, it's rarer to find someone who isn't tattooed.

I suppose that as more of Society become heavily tattooed, they will accept heavily tattooed cops turning up; and of course, being heavily tattooed does not make the person less able to do their job !

Thoughts ?

(Non tattooed) Ken.


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

I personally hate the things. Nothing more to add.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The concept and approval of such things has changed particularly in the last 20 years. There were concerns when HIV became prevalent as a worry, the thought of non-sterile equipment being used made such things a worry. Originally they were very much a characteristic of the forces and having one was seen as a badge of membership.

They are now much more acceptable - of course, one BBC presenter was filmed having one done

BBC News report of that event

They are quite common now amongst young people, not just the forces, but are seen once again as a form of adornment that "perhaps your mother would not like".

Would I prejudge anyone with one or more? Definitely not. To me they represent nothing sinister and may well be intriguing - I sometimes wonder what the whole picture is that I can just glimpse a bit of..... but would never dare to ask..... particularly as some are in places where, presumably, only VERY close friends would get the chance to see all revealed.......

But they do not worry me in the slightest.....

Dave


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I will never understand why anyone would want to mark their bodies for life. Fashions change, they will never be able to change the decision to be tattooed.
In a town near here we often see a young women who has them all over the seen parts of her body, including her face and neck, she wore shorts and sun top in the summer
How daft will that look when she's my age.
Jan


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

JanHank said:


> I will never understand why anyone would want to mark their bodies for life. Fashions change, they will never be able to change the decision to be tattooed.
> In a town near here we often see a young women who has them all over the seen parts of her body, including her face and neck, she wore shorts and sun top in the summer
> How daft will that look when she's my age.
> Jan


Totally agree. I really dislike them and (shock horror sexism alert) especially on girls. Yuk. As for discrimination? Its a tough one. If I was chief of Police or a company director of a customer facing business I would probably enforce a policy of not having them on show.


----------



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

barryd said:


> ....... If I was chief of Police or a company director of a customer facing business I would probably enforce a policy of not having them on show.


Yup !.. That's pretty much the environment I worked in for over a couple of decades. Don't know if it's considered a breach of human rights to insist they're covered up at work ??


----------



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

barryd said:


> Totally agree. I really dislike them and (shock horror sexism alert) especially on girls..


Actually, I am shocked Barry. I would've thought they'd be right up your street being a 'God Of Rock' and all >


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

If it isn't then I expect some one will play that card in the near future.

cabby


----------



## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Traditionally tattoos were worn by the lowest in society, the criminal classes AND aristocrats. The sort of people you would find at a point to point meeting. :surprise::wink2:.

My personal no no is weird piercings. Passed a guy in his 30s a couple of days ago with what could only be described as a bull ring through his nose. Had to be an inch and a half in diameter made of metal quarter inch gauge. Very vulnerable in a brawl I would have thought, mind you looking at him he looked as though he could have handled himself in a brawl.

Dick


----------



## jo662 (Jul 27, 2010)

I dislike tattoos and especially on women.:serious:

I watched an episode of police interceptors the other day,and there was an
officer on there who had tattoos all down one arm and wearing a short sleeve
shirt.How times have moved on,and not always for the best!:frown2:


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I can't say I'm keen on them but hope I'd judge a person on their merits not their tattoos.

The best ( worst ?) we've ever seen was in a BritStop pub car park in a chavvy part of Cheshire. It was a very hot day and the lady concerned had a more than life-size tattoo of her husband ,shaven headed and really quite ugly, done between her bare shoulder blades. The thing that made us laugh was that she'd clearly caught the sun that day while wearing a strappy top. Dear hubby was on a red background peering out through white bars. I so wish I'd had my camera handy !

I'm more anti piercings and, for example, being served food by waiting staff whose nose ring area has gone all red and sore because they have a cold is a touch too far.


----------



## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

on the upside the police catalogue known criminals tattoos, so when they are stopped and give a false name they can often be identify from their tats,


----------



## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

I never hired anyone with visible tatoos and still would not. In a global business, I was always concerned that someone would be offended. Fine, you may think a butterfly could not be offensive to anybody.....but...then they go and get a tatoo in dodgy chinese that says goodness knows what ! It was an unwritten rule, no tatoos. What is the point in donning an expensive suit and tie in order to impress...and then you have a spiders web smack bang in the middle of your forehead ! i mean, what are they thinking ?????


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

The human body (especially in female form) is in my view, a thing of exquisite beauty. So why anyone would want to deliberately, and VERY permanently, mutilate it is beyond my feeble comprehension.

However........ having said that I DO think that SMALL and discrete tattoos (such butterfly's etc) NOT "Tramp Stamps" CAN look attractive on some women. Mrs P once applied (a good few years ago now) a small butterfly type _transfer_ tattoo onto a visible part of her cleavage, it looked really nice (to my eyes)

To counter that the daughter of a friend is a hairdresser and she has a whole arm tattoo from shoulder to half way down her hand, she wears T shirts and similar whilst at work so it is highly visible. My (and a lot of other customers that Mrs P knows) opinion is that it greatly detracts from her natural, and undeniable, beauty. I often wonder what she will think of her (several thousand pounds worth :surprise of tattoo when she is in her fifties.

A few years ago there was a well known crook in town who had a (very visible) single line tattooed around his neck along with the words "Cut Here" It did make him VERY distinctive (a fact which his feeble intellect didnt seem to grasp when indulging in his hobby of shoplifting!!)

I am not a great fan of piercings either, but at least if the object is removed the body eventually repairs the hole!

I will NOT ever be getting either.

Andy

When I joined the Police back in '75 there was an ex matelot who had an elaborate tattoo on his rear end of a fox hunting scene, all that was visible of the fox was its tail as it was "Going to Ground" I will leave you to work it out:wink2::wink2:


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Now if you want to talk about piercings then I could recount a very amusing story from my ambulance work.....

but only if you ask nicely......

Dave


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

C'mon Dave, give us a laugh. We need something to cheer us up.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

OK since you ask so nicely....

Saturday morning, about 1000, radio call to a crew asking them to go to an address (where does not matter), they asked what they were going to - not unreasonable as can prepare for likely event e.g. childbirth or MI, fracture or unconscious....

"You are going to back up crew XYZ123"

"Yes but what for, why do they need backup?"

The conversation continued along that line for several minutes while they made their way to the location, eventually they REALLY wanted to know and the female operator said;

"Well you are going to assist the crew with a couple who are heavily into piercing..... they were having a good time this morning and the metalwork became entangled, they cannot free themselves and the crew present cannot separate them either"

"The crew have asked for another ambulance crew rather than Trumpton (fire service) as they will have to be taken out on the trolley together........ and they need help with the weight......"

silence reigned before a loud laugh came over the airwaves, matched by one from the controller, the discussion then followed what the neighbours would see, say and do......

The mental image of these two on one trolley, covered with a blanket but with two heads showing, cause many a laugh for months to come - the controller herself logged it as one of her most memorable calls, the two crews concerned very much enjoyed the visit to the pub after the shift.....

No-one EVER asked exactly what metalwork these two people (male and female) had managed to entangle. or how the ED managed to separate them - the vision of a large pair of bolt croppers came to mind.... Sadly such feedback was rarely available from the hospital.....

Hope that brings you a smile too....

Dave


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

And on a similar note....
I was once called to sounds of a female in distress coming from a car in a very remote car park.

On my arrival it turned out that there were TWO occupants of the car occupying a single (reclined) front seat. They were "getting to know each other" VERY well indeed and the upper of the two (male) was in severe pain and unable to move !! (yes really) 

Well I then called for the ambulance service at it appeared a medical issue. they duly attended and (after stifling their giggles) declared that they suspected the man had dislocated a spinal disc and as such were unwilling to attempt to remove him from the car.

Cue for trumpton to attend, which they duly did, and promptly cut the roof off the car !!!!! Ambulance crew removed man and yours truely was left with a (VERY embarresed) female and a topless car.

"Never mind the car" says me "at least your husband is in good hands now"

Her response???





scroll down





and some more








But he's NOT my husband :surprise::surprise::surprise:


100% True story

Andy


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Brilliant! Both stories.









What I always find sad is when you pass a wedding. You see a beautiful bride in a lovely white dress and then she turns around to reveal a bare back with a flipping great tattoo between her shoulders.  Then again seeing a bloke in a wedding suit with a shaved head and earnings looks equally as ridiculous if you ask me.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Totally agree Barry, such things detract from the usual thought that "every bride looks beautiful on the wedding day" - sadly, some stretch the tolerance for that beyond the elastic limit (for those who remember "O" Level Physics and Hooke's Law.....

For those that do; F = k × e where 

F is the force in newtons, N
k is the 'spring constant' in newtons per metre, N/m
e is the extension in metres, m

up to the elastic limit.... and for me too, such obvious tattoos are a long way past my tolerance level......

Dave


----------



## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

I have a couple of tats - nothing huge and hidden under clothing - and perfectly happy with them. I'm also thinking of getting a 3rd.

but I am no great fan of full sleeve or leg tats - to me they look ugly, whereas a single well designed and executed tat can look very good. 

I guess we all have different tastes - be a bit dull if we all thought the same


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I would never have a tattoo 

But

I really can't see why I would need to be against them 

It's up to the individual 

A lot like clothing choices 

If they enjoy them fine, it isn't hurting me 

It takes all sorts to make a world 

If my grandkids decided to have a tattoo , andthey might

would it change who they are ?

No they would be the same + a tattoo 

Sandra


----------



## jo662 (Jul 27, 2010)

aldra said:


> I would never have a tattoo
> 
> But
> 
> ...


Maybe your right Sandra,but if my daughter came home with a great big
tattoo of a bird on her neck or somewhere else visible I would not be a 
happy person!:frown2:


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You would get over it 

If that's all you would need to get over in her life 

You would be one happy person 

So says she the mother of 4 daughters and two sons

And there they are, upstanding members of the community

In spite off

Now it's just the grandkids we need to sort out:wink2::wink2:

A few tattoos I could deal with

Sandra


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Just curious but does anyone know how much tattoos cost ? We've got a new, small tattoo parlour in our local shopping area and they never seem to be short of clients.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

It's what people choose to do

Maybe it's a personal expression of who they are 

And I'm too old to remember who I was

Or even who I am some days :surprise:

But a tattoo is harmless, it's an individual thing

Sandra


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

JanHank said:


> How daft will that look when she's my age.
> Jan


Exactly Jan.

A few years ago I joined a group on a weekly basis at a local bar to practice Spanish.

There was a lovely guy there, but at somewhere in his 70's (possibly 80's) he had arms covered in very loose skin and a load of rather badly executed tattoos, most of them political.

Not a great look I thought, especially in Northern Ireland.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I have a couple, nowt big though, never occurred to me to judge others on tattoos, may as well judge on their looks or the way they dress, it's a personal thing and no one else's business really.


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

The cost depends on the tattooist, i.e. an artist or a back street cartoonist, or even someone who does them from their home.

An expert charges from £75 - £100 or more per hour, and you would expect to pay at least £750 - £1000+ for a full sleeve.

I have no doubt those members on the forum who have tattoos will let us know what they paid?


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

*Leave it out Dave*, keep the politics out of this thread.

I am fairly certain that some of the members or even most of them are sick to death with Brexit and the American election.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

jiwawa said:


> Exactly Jan.
> 
> A few years ago I joined a group on a weekly basis at a local bar to practice Spanish.
> 
> ...


But by the time we get to loose skin in our late 70s /80s

It's not a great look in anyone's book

Fortunately it's not about looks at that time 
It's about as you said

A lovely guy

And those tattoos were what he chose once upon a time , and they prob looked good

Or at least he thought they did

Sandra


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Drew said:


> An expert charges from £75 - £100 or more per hour, and you would expect to pay at least £750 - £1000+ for a full sleeve.


Whew ! I'd no idea it was so much but, thinking of what hairdressers, dentists and the like charge, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

Thanks

(PS Has anyone read an excellent Roald Dahl short story called " Skin" ? It makes more sense now ! )


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I haven't

But the ant eater is fantastic

Dirty rhymes 

Sandra


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

aldra said:


> I haven't
> 
> But the ant eater is fantastic
> 
> ...


_Roy, you little squirt. I think I'll have you for dessert...
_

When I retired I used to go into a local primary school to help with non-readers. Roald Dahl was always their No.1 choice and, even though he's not an easy read, his stories are so good that the children used to battle through them. More than you could say for Janet and John.

Try his adult short stories; _really_ chilling. My favourite is _The way up to Heaven_ because I have a phobia about being late as well.


----------

