[Archived] Tattoo

[thenodrog]

How about....'will it improve the quality of my life?'

[S15]

How about....'will it improve the quality of my life?'

No no.

You're getting a wee bit boring now. Some people have more contempory ways of thinking, and all one is doing is decorating ones skin. I'm not saying it is correct one way or another, it's just a preference on one persons part. The only people who are wrong are those who think so black and white as to judge a fellow human being merely as they have decided to decorate their skin. The initial image of stereotype you put in your head when you here I have large parts of particular limbs tattooed would probably be altered if you found out I studied Modern Music Performance degree rather than a Business Studies degree. It would probably be altered if you found out I had long hair instead a short back and sides. It would alter if you thought I had a British bulldog gauging a womans breats tattooed on me as apposed to some of the designs I have, and maybe if you knew the stories and memories behind them. You would probably even alter you image if you found out I was a particular age, or thin, not fat. So many things would alter your image. So, you may judge somewhat on a somewhat shallow level if they have a particular tattoo, but just for having one in general?

It's you I truely pity.

[broadsword]

Oh, is one? I say old boy, up for another chukka before tiffin?

"Will it improve my quality of life" is probably quite a good criteria, if getting a tattoo will stop you getting a job (eg in the Police).

I've not sure how you've leaped from that to a diatribe about stereotypes, and what's this "contempory way of thinking" you're going on about? It's not thinking so much as an increasing attitude of acceptance.

One man's decoration is another man's defacement, both can be tolerant of teh other since no-one is forcing someone to get a tattoo/ not get one.

[S15]

Oh, is one? I say old boy, up for another chukka before tiffin?

You've interpretted the tone in which this was said.

And I have a friend in the police and he has a rather large tattoo. All you have to do is declare upon arrival and ask permission in future.

A large amount of 'young' people, students and whoever else have tattoos now. If companies start ruling out these people it would be pretty stupid of them.

The days of not getting a job because of a tattoo are long gone.

[adopted scouser]

The days of not getting a job because of a tattoo are long gone.

Not if you want to work for me, they're horrible.

[broadsword]

You've interpretted the tone in which this was said.

And I have a friend in the police and he has a rather large tattoo. All you have to do is declare upon arrival and ask permission in future.

A large amount of 'young' people, students and whoever else have tattoos now. If companies start ruling out these people it would be pretty stupid of them.

The days of not getting a job because of a tattoo are long gone.

One has interpreted the tone, one admits, but what else can one do? Wu-haha.

As for the police, see this this and this.

Not getting a job because of a tattoo? I think those days are still here, depending upon the job. If the job requires formal wear, then a tattoo would have to be discreet, particularly if it was a client-facing job. I can't see someone working in the front-office at a merchant bank with a great big Celtic cross on his shoulder. Wouldn't go down too well.

[AlanK]

I can't see someone working in the front-office at a merchant bank with a great big Celtic cross on his shoulder. Wouldn't go down too well.

I`ve never seen anyone working in a bank topless to show off their shoulder

[broadsword]

Do you not think they'd be visible through a white shirt?

[thenodrog]

The days of not getting a job because of a tattoo are long gone.

I agree .... as long as being on the bins / digging roads is your chosen career.

[cletus]

I have the name of that world famous Welsh town tattooed along the entire length of my willy....Rhyl

[S15]

I agree .... as long as being on the bins / digging roads is your chosen career.

Well currently I'm making a pretty decent go of it whilst being a teacher.

I know as soon as you saw this thread you were licking your lips.

I just look forward to the day one of your offspring walks through the door with the tattoo.

And AS, in all seriousness I do appreciate that there are some people in power like yourself who may hold views like that, and I do feel a responsibility to myself to work immenswly hard in everything I do in my career to ensure people respect me, and to make sure they want me to work for them. This perhaps is due to a subconcious awareness that certain people may view me as not hard working or reliable due to my supposed image.

Is this correct in modern society? 100% not IMO. On the flipside if I see someone who is the polar opposite to me (Visibly), do I approach them with cautiousness? Probably, yes. However, I don't live with such strong stubborness and unopenness which may go one day against me.

However it never has, and I feel it never will hold me back.

[thenodrog]

Well currently I'm making a pretty decent go of it whilst being a teacher.

A teacher with a Bradford birth mark in your nose and neck tattoo a la Beckham! Well whilst you certainly wouldn't work at my school if I were a school head I guess you could always fall back on captaining England at football.

.... Even better if you pronounce 'th' as 'f' and cultivate an inability to pronounce the letter 't' in the middle of words.

[adopted scouser]

A teacher with a Bradford birth mark in your nose and neck tattoo a la Beckham! Well whilst you certainly wouldn't work at my school if I were a school head I guess you could always fall back on captaining England at football.

.... Even better if you pronounce 'th' as 'f' and cultivate an inability to pronounce the letter 't' in the middle of words.

This perhaps is due to a subconcious awareness that certain people may view me as not hard working or reliable due to my supposed image.

I operate in a public service industry, and tattoos or body piercings are simply unacceptable. Cover up the ink or remove the bolt from your eyebrow and maybe we'll talk, but otherwise no thanks. Earrings (one set) acceptable for girls but nothing else.

I'm off to polish my swastika

[S15]

A teacher with a Bradford birth mark in your nose and neck tattoo a la Beckham! Well whilst you certainly wouldn't work at my school if I were a school head I guess you could always fall back on captaining England at football.

.... Even better if you pronounce 'th' as 'f' and cultivate an inability to pronounce the letter 't' in the middle of words.

Whilst your humour is really funny and mockery of all things different inspiring, you're not changing facts.

Is it so hard for you to understand that educated people in good jobs might like a tattoo or piercings? Is that really hard for you to accept?

Is it just a bitterness that all ginger people hold, that for however good they look, or however high they reach, people still call them 'ginge?'

[S15]

I operate in a public service industry, and tattoos or body piercings are simply unacceptable. Cover up the ink or remove the bolt from your eyebrow and maybe we'll talk, but otherwise no thanks. Earrings (one set) acceptable for girls but nothing else.

I'm off to polish my swastika

Out of interest are these rules you agree with?

Aside from the fact that you don't like tattoos? I mean as long as someone hasn't got '' (Please don't use that word again) off'' on their forehead, I see what is offensive. It's a mindset which IMO is particularly bad in this country. I mean who am I to refuse to teach a kid if they wear makeup, or if a kid wants to wear earrings, or a necklace? I'd never deprive them of a form of education FFS. Likewise why would a middle age person want to deprive a young adult from getting their life going just because they have a tattoo, or a nose stud? It's an attitude which is completely inhuman to me.

Btw the way, apart from the first sentence non of the above is aimed directly at you personally.

[T4E]

Do you not think they'd be visible through a white shirt?

Not if they wore a suit, as they likely would.

[American Rover12]

I agree .... as long as being on the bins / digging roads is your chosen career.

Maybe there's a cultural divide, but where I'm from being a Garbage man is a very hard job to get as they get paid quite well and have hours that allow them to work a second or third shift job if they wish. Also seeing as its a government job the benefits aren't too shabby either.

Having said that, In situations like getting a job, there's a difference between discreet and common sense. When my father goes on interviews, he wears a long sleeve shirt as part of suit. Theres a point on his wrist where the ink doesnt come past for that very reason. He's not naive when it comes to knowingthat many employers still don't smile upon the image it presents. When at the interview , he informs them of his tattoos and piercings and the boss will tell him the policy about it, and he accommodates it. Simple really.

[thenodrog]

Is it just a bitterness that all ginger people hold, that for however good they look, or however high they reach, people still call them 'ginge?'

Personally I don't give a flying flerk but it is certainly fact that colour prejudice only concerns the skin. Odd really cos both are purely genetic traits.... but who ever said the world was a fair place?

btw shillitoe which do you think of the following is the biggest influence in employers deciding against certain individuals? Visible tattoos / brown skin / red hair?

[Blueboy Downunder]

tattoos have ABSOLUTELY no effect on a person´s ability to do his or her job and if employers are turning people down for jobs because the applicants have tattoo/s...then that is discrimination in anybodys language, and if it where me, then i´d be going straight to my lawyer, seeking legal advice.

i say this to those who don´t have tattoos....if you don´t like them, then fair enough as i have no problem with that but you don´t have to disrespect people who do choose to decorate their bodies which such art.

[broadsword]

Not if they wore a suit, as they likely would.

So, as long as they kept their jacket on, they're OK. Yes, vastly practical.

I wonder if this will be the new discrimination, tattooism, discriminating on the colour of someone's skin.

[American]

tattoos have ABSOLUTELY no effect on a person´s ability to do his or her job and if employers are turning people down for jobs because the applicants have tattoo/s...then that is discrimination in anybodys language, and if it where me, then i´d be going straight to my lawyer, seeking legal advice.

i say this to those who don´t have tattoos....if you don´t like them, then fair enough as i have no problem with that but you don´t have to disrespect people who do choose to decorate their bodies which such art.

That's funny. Tattooed people get discriminated against and should sue!!

It is a personal choice. If I'm an employer, and I am hiring people to work with the public, I can make them cut their hair or cover their tattoo/s all I want.

Go to your lawyer, he'll charge you a consult fee and then tell you you have no case.

[AlanK]

Well, I must admit I`m enjoying this thread. Did not expect such passionate reactions from both sides.

As for me, being self employed, if and when i get this done I am going to have to have severe words with myself!

[Manchester Blue]

That's funny. Tattooed people get discriminated against and should sue!!

It is a personal choice. If I'm an employer, and I am hiring people to work with the public, I can make them cut their hair or cover their tattoo/s all I want.

Go to your lawyer, he'll charge you a consult fee and then tell you you have no case.

Actually you can't. You would have to give a very good reason for making them cut their hair and if that reason didn't wash with a tribunal then you'd be looking at a hefty payout. In fact if the only reason you didn't give the person the job was appearance than chances are your HR department wouldn't let it go to a tribunal, they'd be paying out quicker than you can say 'get your hair cut'.

Go to your HR dept and ask them. Sadly common sense doesn't come into many instances these days and you have to be squeaky clean when it comes to any form of discrimination.

[AlanK]

I`m well educated, balanced and chilled. Doesn`t make me god`s gift to life but I do ok.

I`ve tried the white collar collar, corporate kiss butt life and detested it. Detested it with a passion. Hell, and this is the truth, when I left my station I had to give it a reason why. One of them was toilet break and everyone else in the department could see that. It even asked how long you would be away. I`m talking about working at one of the if not the best anti virus software companies in the world. Fantastic perks, amazing building and facilities. As long as as an individual you excepted that you would be stripped back and expected to behave like a robot.

It does seem that a lot of you are suggesting a tattoo will restrict your career. From what I have seen all of those careers suggest an office job. Take your office job and shove it. Believe it or not, there are thousands and thousands of us who do not need a shirt and tie, a company car, phone and company pension to be happy. There is another side to life beyond your university education or pre programmed public sector job. Try chucking on some old trainers, some battered jeans and an old sweatshirt to do your day job. Its quite liberating. I`m not going to boast about incomes but I do own a 4 bed detached house in the cotswolds and never been to university. Well educated does not have to mean a degree. ( oh the shock! ). It can mean you are good at your trade, be it a sparky, footballer or musician and believe me a tattoo makes no difference there.

In fact, the only reason I have been given not to get a tattoo is because I might not get that future job I do not want!

It would be intersting to find out who does what jobs out of all the people who have tattoos. I bet they are not all binmen!

Besides, I know a fighter pilot who has a tattoo ( and he is well decorated in more than one sense! ), the area manager of a supermarket chain and a postie.

So other than working in your office, why else should I resist?

[AlanK]

Just read through the entire topic.

Colin made a lot of sense. Basically was saying give it good consideration.

Bryan was just sarcastic and unhelpful.

AS was ruthless......you bitch

Theno....well, once heels dug in there is no going back

But, other than preventing me from being bank manager or chief detective super sergeant inspector PC Plod no other reason has been given.