Tattoos and L.A. city employees

[Laura's Babies]

The cutiest tatoo I saw was on the ankle of a waitress at Shoney's.. It was my hero GRAFIELD doing that scratching thing as he slid down her ankle. She was required to cover it up while she worked but I always had to see it.. it was so cute!

I worked with a engineer that had birds in flight tatoo'd on his arms, wings going from elbo to wrists, they were nothing but pure artwork and beautiful!

However, I do not normally like tatoo's and if I were a business owner, anyone I hired with them would have to keep them covered at work. Same thing with face and tongue piercings.. NOT AT WORK!

[pitc9]

I once worked with a girl who had a good friend that is a tattoo artist.
Needles to say she was covered!!

Her entire back in covered with huge angel wings, she has both arms sleeved and to complete the outfit she had an old western style gun belt, guns AND a sheriff star included too!! I never minded it until the one day she asked me to come into the bathroom with her and help her wrap her gun belt with saran wrap!

I don't mind tat's at all, I'd like to get my dogs paw prints one day.

I have to agree 100% about the face tat's!
That's a little too much!

[lizbud]

I don't think the firefighters can do much about this if their own union
backs the idea. I think it's pretty dumb to take this to the extreme and
check for showing tats when they are sleeping.

I read an article the other day about Tattoos that said, people with five
or more tats are twice as likely to die a violent death than people without
tats.

[Suki Wingy]

I'm about to get my first two this year, as soon as I can afford it. I've been thinking long and hard about what and why, and they're both small. upper back and foot.
I tend to not like the huge memorials, complete with dates of death and names. I don't get why you'd want the date that someone you loved died inked permanently on your body.

As for ones I like, my uncle has a DNA strand around his arm, and my riding instructor has a pair of feathery blue wings on her back. Her training service is called Blue Feather Farms.

[DJFyrewolf36]

I agree that some tattoos are really in poor taste, and I get the feeling like Im being forced to stare at them lol. Some of them are nicely done pieces of art though. Really it comes down to a lot of thought and planning on the part of the person getting ink done and the artist too.
As for the memorial thing, I plan on getting one for my daughter. To me it symbolizes the life that I know existed, and it keeps it with me. No it isn't going to be huge, nor visible unless I happen to be wearing a tank top or something along those lines. And in that case my wings on my back, the rose on my shoulder (which will be part of the memorial) would be visiable too.
My tattoos are a personal expression of things that are part of my core being. Honestly even if they ARE visible Im not too teribly concerned what people think
I guess thats why I made sure none of them are visible wearing standard work attire, with the exception of the small cross on the ring finger of my left hand. Technically in my job now, Im supposed to cover it up but my boss doesn't have an issue with it and so far Ive only had one person (a boss I had when I was working retail) even bring it up as an issue.
LOL I guess I shouldn't be defensive of it. So many people though get tattoos on a whim and I think its obvious. Even great artwork can feel like it doesn't belong where its sitting, you know?
Back to the original topic lol...Honestly if public service agencies are concerned about perception, I agree with covering tattoos up. You never know what a person will think. However I do have a problem with them making them an issue when someone is not out in public. It would be like my company telling me I cant wear things exposing my tattoos in my house. However, most workplaces feel like if they are paying for your time, they can tell you what to do with it and a lot of people agree with that philosophy.

[Twisterdog]

I think tatoos, like anything else in this world, can be overdone.

I have five tatoos, but I can cover them all up simply by wearing pants and a tank top.

There is a young man who works at Burgr King here. He has "PITBULL" tatooed around his neck in two-inch-tall old English letters. It is horrific to say the least.

[critter crazy]

Uggghhhh....I cannot stand crap like this?? Wht dont we just move to freaking Iraq or wherever and cover our bodies from head to toe in clothing, and all look the same??? I thought the whole purpose of being an american was to be an individual!! I love my tats, and I would ever cover them up for a damn Job! If you dont like them then dont look!! I would rather be unemployed, than have to cover up my body art!!! how does having a tattoo interfere with being a firefighter or a police officer?? Do they prevent them from getting the job done?? I think not!! Most firefighter and cops, have a military background. It is pretty much like a rite of passge in the military, when you get a tat, and there is always meaning behind it. So we are to deny someone like a soldier, the honor of Displaying something that they got while serving our country?? I find it utterly rediculous!! What about these men that Get tats to memorialize fallens friends??? How disrepectful is it to ask someone to cover up a memorial to a dead friend and commrade?? Things like this make me wonder what it realy is to be an american! I think we all have lost a grasp on that concept!!

[Twisterdog]

I would rather be unemployed, than have to cover up my body art!!!

And that is certainly your right to do so.

However, it is also an employer's right to decide that excessive tatoos, piercings, etc. conflict with the image of their company, and not hire you.

I really can't see someone with dozens of visible tatoos finding employment as an accountant, banker, attorney, etc.

To each their own ... your right to get as many tatoos as you want, and an employers right not to hire you. Our rights and our freedoms must be extended to everyone equally.

[critter crazy]

I really can't see someone with dozens of visible tatoos finding employment as an accountant, banker, attorney, etc.

Sounds like discrimination to me. We all have a right tour own opinions, but we also have the right to be treated equally no matter what we look like!! Just because you have tats, does not mean you can not do a job well!