Tattoo Hatred

[BlueJayMedic]

So I am new here and enjoying this site a ton and have already learned more here than the last month of my advanced care classes!! I have also in passing noticed a common theme in some of these threads in regards to tattoo's and that is that there are a whole heap of people on here who think that anyone with a tattoo is automatically beneath them.

You can rifle through the comments on the Nightwatch thread about how disgusting and unprofessional it is to have tattoos visible while working and other threads that talk about the "tatted up guy from the projects". Am I the only one around that completely disagrees with this mentality? I understand we deal with an elderly population 8 times out of 10 and they may be the faster ones to judge but I find if you carry yourself in a professional manner and be polite to your patients than by the end of the call the majority of them won't be thinking about the tattoos you have.

I know people without a single tattoo on their body who treat their patients like garbage and their uniforms look like they just crawled out of a sewer, thats my thought of unprofessionalism. In that same thought I have met frequent fliers and abusers of the EMS system as well as drug addicts and people seeking narcotics without one single visible piece of ink on their skin. I am just curious as to why in this day and age it matters if you have a tattoo showing whether you are at work or not. Does it have to do with growing up in a certain part of a country or socioeconomic class?

I personally don't have any tattoos that are visible while I am at work but am curious as to why all the hate and judgement. Sorry if this has been posted before, I did a quick search and couldn't find anything.

PS if you have any neat ones you want to show off, leave them in a comment, I enjoy seeing different styles from around the globe.

 

[Jim37F]

While I personally have 0 tattoos myself, I largely agree with you. Having spent nearly 8 years in the Army (5 yrs active, 3 in the Reserves) I was more the exception than the rule for not having tats among my peer group. There is some great art out there (and some not so great) and I personally know guys (and gals) that are outstanding, and that are d-bags, and in my anecdotal experience, having tatoos did not correlate at all.

That being said, my current department is very anti-tattoo, to the point where if you have any visible tatoos in the PT uniform (short sleeve t-shirt and shorts) is an automatic disqualification from being hired. So I doubt I'll be getting any anytime soon

 

[teedubbyaw]

A lot of ignorant people living in the past. Tattoos to most people over the age of 20-25 are associated with trashy people/criminals, because, in reality, the tattoo world had been rampant with crappy work. Tattoos have come a long way and people are starting to see them for art rather than symbolic nonsense.

I have 30 hours and continuing time under the needle. None of my tattoos are visible on duty, but that has nothing to do with my job. If you have tasteful and well done tattoos, show em off if your company allows. I've had old ladies and old guys randomly stop me to comment on a tattoo.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

While I personally have 0 tattoos myself, I largely agree with you. Having spent nearly 8 years in the Army (5 yrs active, 3 in the Reserves) I was more the exception than the rule for not having tats among my peer group. There is some great art out there (and some not so great) and I personally know guys (and gals) that are outstanding, and that are d-bags, and in my anecdotal experience, having tatoos did not correlate at all.

That being said, my current department is very anti-tattoo, to the point where if you have any visible tatoos in the PT uniform (short sleeve t-shirt and shorts) is an automatic disqualification from being hired. So I doubt I'll be getting any anytime soon

Is that par for the course from the area your from or is it just an upper management in your service kind of thing?
Our service isn't allowed to discriminate however I do know of some students that wear long sleeves on the road and during their interviews/probation period. Once that's done they pull out the short sleeves and wear the ink proudly.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

A lot of ignorant people living in the past. Tattoos to most people over the age of 20-25 are associated with trashy people/criminals, because, in reality, the tattoo world had been rampant with crappy work. Tattoos have come a long way and people are starting to see them for art rather than symbolic nonsense.

I have 30 hours and continuing time under the needle. None of my tattoos are visible on duty, but that has nothing to do with my job. If you have tasteful and well done tattoos, show em off if your company allows. I've had old ladies and old guys randomly stop me to comment on a tattoo.

30 hours that's serious business. All not visible too, that's impressive as I'm sure they're not in the most comfortable spots.

I find that my EMS one Sparks a lot of comments and questions from the older folks when it's short wearing weather.
It just seems like it's taking forever for anyone to see it from an art and expression point of view.

 

[Jim37F]

It's my department being more restrictive than the surrounding area. When they announced the requirement right before the written test, many applicants just got up and walked out because they couldn't pass that and there's no point testing if you're going to be DQ'd later on anyway..

Most other departments and private companies are fine-as long as you have like a neoprene sleeve, or a long sleeve uniform shirt on over top on duty

 

[teedubbyaw]

30 hours that's serious business. All not visible too, that's impressive as I'm sure they're not in the most comfortable spots.

I find that my EMS one Sparks a lot of comments and questions from the older folks when it's short wearing weather.
It just seems like it's taking forever for anyone to see it from an art and expression point of view.

I think wearing shorts in EMS is far more offensive than tattoos. Lol

 

[TransportJockey]

A lot of ignorant people living in the past. Tattoos to most people over the age of 20-25 are associated with trashy people/criminals, because, in reality, the tattoo world had been rampant with crappy work. Tattoos have come a long way and people are starting to see them for art rather than symbolic nonsense.

I have 30 hours and continuing time under the needle. None of my tattoos are visible on duty, but that has nothing to do with my job. If you have tasteful and well done tattoos, show em off if your company allows. I've had old ladies and old guys randomly stop me to comment on a tattoo.

I'd say probably over the age of 30 or so. I'm 27 and have multiple tattoos, including several visible in a short sleeve uniform. With the exception of AMR, I've been lucky that none of my departments have required me to cover them up.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I'm fine with some tattoos. I lose all respect for someone if they have "Thug Life" or "Yolo" tattooed on their knuckles or a teardrop on their face.

Our employees are more than welcome to have tattoos however they must be covered up at all times. Our area is also 90% geriatrics. For my area if we have an elderly patient with a tattoo it is very likely they were in the armed forces.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

I think wearing shorts in EMS is far more offensive than tattoos. Lol

I agree 100% especially when you have pale chicken legs like myself. I definitely meant outside of work shorts, no uniform shorts around here. I think fire may allow shorts in the summer though.

 

[TransportJockey]

I think wearing shorts in EMS is far more offensive than tattoos. Lol

Unless you're on an ems bike team i fully agree with you. I kmow RMI in Havasu let's their crews wear shorts, which looks odd. But they have to wear brush pants at MVCs and the like

 

[BlueJayMedic]

Our bike medic shorts are hilarious it makes the medics look like they are wearing full diapers and they're way too short. No avoiding showing the leg tats there in the summer. Tourists love the ink and the uniforms, generally.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

I dint think the issue is anybody thinking others are "beneath them" as much as it's just about professionalism. the same can be said for purple hair or huge ear hole things. We work in the service industry where appearances matter. Why? Because people judge you based on appearance before getting to know you. Think about who our customers are, hospitals, healthcare workers, and old people.

That being said I have 4 tats and made sure when I got them that they wouldn't preclude me from working in any profession I chose. I also removed both my earings when I started looking for EMS jobs...and cut my +shoulder length hair.

 

[Amelia]

I immedietly thought if this!

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...SVK2BOOjgsATZhIKwCQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CB4QMygBMAE

 

[JPINFV]

In this thread, people who make choices and then are upset that not everyone agrees with those choices, but then whines that it's the fault of the people who disagree with their choices and not themselves.

 

[Carlos Danger]

In this American culture, people who make choices and then are upset that not everyone agrees with those choices, but then whines that it's the fault of the people who disagree with their choices and not themselves.

Fixt it for you.

 

[SandpitMedic]

In my own opinion, it completely depends on the what and where your tattoo is...

Like Desert said, if you have "Murderer" across your neck or "T.H.U.G." on your fingers, or spider webs and tear drops, "Chicano", "13th street", "hooligan", "Insane clown posse", a nude woman or other distasteful "art" on you... You immediately lose all credibility and are assumed to have made or make irreversible poor choices - and I don't want you near me. Period.

The word distasteful is very subjective... What I may find vulgar or unprofessional may be a very casual expression to another person. That is where you have the zero-tolerance policies; we can't be "fair" (which our entitled society demands) so we just eliminate the issue and say tats are a no-go.

I think that some tattoos are very cool. I think that neck/face/hand tattoos have no place in EMS. To echo the above... You can't make the choice to get a neck tattoo, then whine about people judging you and ridiculing you, when in the first place you wanted to be different from the rest and express your "rebel side" by getting a neck tattoo.

Rebels and professionals at large are two different breed. No matter how you slice it, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

On a completely different note is the way we in EMS gripe about how we are perceived .....

Do you see neck tattoos on firemen?

Do you see gauged ears on the policeman that asks for your license and registration?

Do you see PAs and RNs and MDs with earrings and hand tattoos in Converse and skinny jeans or leather jackets and studded jewelery?

I DO NOT want someone saying "well, I knew this one guy one time who had a (whatever) and he was just the greatest and grandmas loved him and he was paramedic-SWAT leader-Navy SEAL-police-doctor-ranger..." The answer is simply no overall... You don't because while on duty (and supposedly off duty) these people have to represent authority and professionalism and command of their trade. They must "look the part" if they want to be respected and trusted. Note, I am not saying people who have distasteful tattoos cannot be good at their trade or be good trusting people... I'm just stating the truth about my opinion and perspective.

We work in the public, and we have an audience. It is as simple as that. Body art that you cover or have a "normal" tattoo or your kids names or something legitimate or significant with a story to tell... great. Some patients may enjoy that story. But tacky, vulgar, unprofessional tattoos - nope.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

In my own opinion, it completely depends on the what and where your tattoo is...

Like Desert said, if you have "Murderer" across your neck or "T.H.U.G." on your fingers, or spider webs and tear drops, "Chicano", "13th street", "hooligan", "Insane clown posse", a nude woman or other distasteful "art" on you... You immediately lose all credibility and are assumed to have made or make irreversible poor choices - and I don't want you near me. Period.

The word distasteful is very subjective... What I may find vulgar or unprofessional may be a very casual expression to another person. That is where you have the zero-tolerance policies; we can't be "fair" (which our entitled society demands) so we just eliminate the issue and say tats are a no-go.

I think that some tattoos are very cool. I think that neck/face/hand tattoos have no place in EMS. To echo the above... You can't make the choice to get a neck tattoo, then whine about people judging you and ridiculing you, when in the first place you wanted to be different from the rest and express your "rebel side" by getting a neck tattoo.

Rebels and professionals at large are two different breed. No matter how you slice it, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

On a completely different note is the way we in EMS gripe about how we are perceived .....

Do you see neck tattoos on firemen?

Do you see gauged ears on the policeman that asks for your license and registration?

Do you see PAs and RNs and MDs with earrings and hand tattoos in Converse and skinny jeans or leather jackets and studded jewelery?

I DO NOT want someone saying "well, I knew this one guy one time who had a (whatever) and he was just the greatest and grandmas loved him and he was paramedic-SWAT leader-Navy SEAL-police-doctor-ranger..." The answer is simply no overall... You don't because while on duty (and supposedly off duty) these people have to represent authority and professionalism and command of their trade. They must "look the part" if they want to be respected and trusted. Note, I am not saying people who have distasteful tattoos cannot be good at their trade or be good trusting people... I'm just stating the truth about my opinion and perspective.

We work in the public, and we have an audience. It is as simple as that. Body art that you cover or have a "normal" tattoo or your kids names or something legitimate or significant with a story to tell... great. Some patients may enjoy that story. But tacky, vulgar, unprofessional tattoos - nope.

I agree with everyone's comments in regards to neck tattoos and tear drop face tatts, that wasn't the point on my mind when I started the threat, obviously having a naked woman on your arm isn't going to fly when you go to pick up a paediatric patient. I am talking about the attitudes people automatically have the second tey see anything without asking about it. It's a preconceived opinion and it just seems rediculous. But what do I know I'm not lookin to have a conversation I am just whining about A choice I made right JPINFV??

 

[Ewok Jerky]

I agree with everyone's comments in regards to neck tattoos and tear drop face tatts, that wasn't the point on my mind when I started the threat, obviously having a naked woman on your arm isn't going to fly when you go to pick up a paediatric patient. I am talking about the attitudes people automatically have the second tey see anything without asking about it. It's a preconceived opinion and it just seems rediculous. But what do I know I'm not lookin to have a conversation I am just whining about A choice I made right JPINFV??

I don't hear many peeps walking around complaining about tattoos that they can't see and having attitude about it. And now it does sound like you are whining.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

I don't hear many peeps walking around complaining about tattoos that they can't see and having attitude about it. And now it does sound like you are whining

I don't have any anyone can see the topic wasn't about me specifically