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Unbelievable

I recall a guy who always wore long sleeve shirts buttoned to the top, even on very hot days. One day I asked him "why the long sleeves?" It tuns out that in his youth he ran with a local gang and had quite a few gang tats. After he got out of prison, he turned his life around became a small business owner, husband, father, etc. and was ashamed of what his ink said about his choices as a young adult. Keeping covered up made it easier for him to function as a respected member of the greater community.
 
Well, if we're talking about wasteful, I've spent the majority of my early 20's dumping thousands and thousands of dollars into a 50 year old hunk of junk that isn't even as fast or as safe as modern, cheaper cars. Hell, it'd be a lot cheaper if I had just tattoo'd my entire body.

I am proud to be growing up in a time when people are not so rigidly defined by looks and appearances as they are abilities. That alone has provided me with a lot more opportunities than I otherwise would have had growing up. I can hot rod around and wrench with people and I don't get excluded from groups just because I'm "nontraditional" (woman, Japanese, long hair, long nails, scientist, whatever else you want to pile on there) - people tend to just see that I am a competent mechanic and that's all they care about. I am very aware of how I might look to those who are judgmental, and thus only prefer to keep those types of people at arm's length or further. The last thing I need is someone criticizing how I look while I'm just trying to live my life.

Lots of people in my family (an upper-middle class southern belle plantation-type family) are actually tattoo'd now. My sister is chronically ill and has a few tattoos to remind her of the things in life she loves best. My cousin is recovering from a nearly-lethal eating disorder and self-harm spiral and has tattoos on her arms to remind her that she's beautiful and that she shouldn't cut up her body or starve herself. Another has tattoos depicting core values and has a wedding ring tattoo. They'd never get hired by some of the people who have spoken up here... and that is a good thing for them, I suspect.

If you don't want to hire people with tattoos, fine, cool, that's you and your decision. But bitching about them just because you don't like the way they look or you think they're wasteful... who gives a shit?! Not your body, and as long as they're not profane, who cares. Plenty of clean-cut people have more wasteful or damaging habits than that.

Man, I should really get a few tattoos...
 
There may be a generational divide when it comes to tats. I see so many young people with them and wonder why, especially the girls. I have to agree with JeffTepper up above that in my world it would be a lot easier to function in the community without them. Maybe that's changed to some extent- but won't entirely until my generation is gone.
I think you middle aged folks should invest in whatever technology can remove tats, you'll make a killing when those darling little butterflies turn into cockroaches.
 
Had to come in from the garage to check something and made the mistake of opening TheFix and here I am again. I had planned to stay out of this thread as a few have responded seemingly in the, if not in support of the tat crowd quite angrily. I'd ask they go back and read the posts again, at least mine, if you think I am preaching some kind of prejudice or have made some mental blacklist of all people wearing tattoos. It is simply not true and a reread should make that clear. What I have written at length about is the failure of many of those tatted folks to be able to adequately apply and interview for work in my experience. I know and work with many people who have ink. Some in my family. My own son. Tattoos aren't the issue. It's the mental processes demonstrated by the majority I have encountered in life that caught my attention. In the simplest of terms, it's kinda like when dad used to ask you what you would do if all your friends were going to jump off a bridge. Followers are typically only capable of following which is not a great resume trait. Remember not too long ago when EVERYONE just had to get a tribal arm band tat? Now this latest generation laughs at/teases those folks. Too funny. When EVERYONE is doing something it typically is the thing you likely don't want to be part of long term. Just a thought. Peace out!
 
Is having a tat wasteful? Well is living in a house bigger than you absolutely need wasteful? Is eating more than you absolutely need to to live wasteful? Is owning a car that does more than get you from A to B wasteful? Is playing golf wasteful? (should I keep going?).
Also do some get tats they regret? Do they "look" like thugs? (or whatever). I get it.
But looking at the basketball players tats, most are contained to the arms, shoulders, etc. I don't see any concern with those.
As for Terry's argument, I can't deny his experience. However, I work with a lot of PHD scientists and engineers who I wonder how they can get to work everyday. Some of them probably test really well and look great on paper and maybe even sound great in an interview but they are completely useless. We have had a EDP program (engineering development program) where we hire these kids right out of university and assign them a mentor and/or move them around in the different business units to see where they might fit and what they like to do. Several of them have been made job offers and continue to work for the company. Much much more of them are turned lose because they bring no value, they fit the mold but just can't cut it. The ones I have had to work with have all been clean cut and "professional" looking. But I can tell you appearances and that piece of paper are not always the best measure.
Now if you have prison tats or gang tats, that does clearly say something about you (now or in the past). However, the most successful candidates that we have had in this program have not been the polished mama's boys (or girls) but the ones who have been around the block due to tuff family conditions or whatever their story has been. They have been for the most part the ones you wouldn't have suspected at first glance would make it.
Like Kelly said, a lot of the tattted people have stories behind those tats. yes, there are those with the fad tats or whatever. And yeah, the Mike Tyson face tattoo does not seem like a good idea. And maybe Terry has a way of attracting dumb people (just kidding man!) but like I have said, I myself have never fit the mold of what HR wants to hire. If it weren't for a few people who took a chance on me I would have never made it where I am. So I am glad way back when, my book wasn't judged by it's cover...
 
Come on Terry, if Gary has taught us nothing else, anecdotal evidence means zip, nada.
 
Just remember, Dave Sandborn got a Mustang tattoo, and look what he's been up to: nada. Just goes to show...get a tat, and drop out.

JK, Dave!
 
What's wrong with tattoos? I have a large panel on my lower back of three sea turtles, plus a manta ray above it. On my right thigh is a large artwork of a seahorse and nudibranch in kelp. All are in locations where they would never be seen unless I'm in a bathing suit and shorts. I got them to celebrate my love of diving, and am thinking of getting another one. They are very personal to me and are easily covered up. I don't want any on my arms, neck, face, or lower legs, but I do love what I have. And, I was almost 62 when I got the first one.
 
Well, if we're talking about wasteful, I've spent the majority of my early 20's dumping thousands and thousands of dollars into a 50 year old hunk of junk that isn't even as fast or as safe as modern, cheaper cars. Hell, it'd be a lot cheaper if I had just tattoo'd my entire body.

I am proud to be growing up in a time when people are not so rigidly defined by looks and appearances as they are abilities. That alone has provided me with a lot more opportunities than I otherwise would have had growing up. I can hot rod around and wrench with people and I don't get excluded from groups just because I'm "nontraditional" (woman, Japanese, long hair, long nails, scientist, whatever else you want to pile on there) - people tend to just see that I am a competent mechanic and that's all they care about. I am very aware of how I might look to those who are judgmental, and thus only prefer to keep those types of people at arm's length or further. The last thing I need is someone criticizing how I look while I'm just trying to live my life.

Lots of people in my family (an upper-middle class southern belle plantation-type family) are actually tattoo'd now. My sister is chronically ill and has a few tattoos to remind her of the things in life she loves best. My cousin is recovering from a nearly-lethal eating disorder and self-harm spiral and has tattoos on her arms to remind her that she's beautiful and that she shouldn't cut up her body or starve herself. Another has tattoos depicting core values and has a wedding ring tattoo. They'd never get hired by some of the people who have spoken up here... and that is a good thing for them, I suspect.

If you don't want to hire people with tattoos, fine, cool, that's you and your decision. But bitching about them just because you don't like the way they look or you think they're wasteful... who gives a shit?! Not your body, and as long as they're not profane, who cares. Plenty of clean-cut people have more wasteful or damaging habits than that.

Man, I should really get a few tattoos...
Kelly,

Thanks for the response, but when I see people begging for a handout n have tattoos all over themselves, it just does not add up
 
If this thread were in the grumpy old farts lounge Id drop in an info-graphic I found recently about tattoos . . . kinda funny too.
 
these college basketball n football players make me puke. The # of tattoos they have are pathetic.

When I was in college, I was just happy to have a roof over my head.

I, me, mine

Kelly,

Thanks for the response, but when I see people begging for a handout n have tattoos all over themselves, it just does not add up

So you have seen tattooed college athletes begging for handouts?
 
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