Tattoos and Cops

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

@undercoverbrother Settle down there AP English guy.

No, I never said it's a direct reflection. Relax.

My original post(s) made fun of tribal tattoos. Nage basically said someone's tattoos "pretty much means nothing as to how they are as a person."

I couldn't disagree more. There's a stereotype that goes along with tribal tattoos and that stereytope is douchbagery.

If anyone out there has a tribal tattoo they can be assured there people are out there making fun of them behind their back everywhere they go. Not everyone, but people like me.

LOL, I'm pretty sure this guy's choice of tattoo is a reflection of what he's all about:

Alright big boy, have another cup of coffee.

Thanks for the clarification.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by ken0042

It's been my experience that undercover officers typically don't wear their uniforms.

Unless they are going undercover as a stripper or something.


The thing about tattoos is that they are very subjective (what one person thinks is cool, is cliche or silly to someone else).

I think we all know people who got tattoos that are pretty dumb. I would say that at least half the people I know who got them in their 20s, are usually wondering what they were thinking by the time they hit 30. If I see someone with what to me is a stupid thing to get tattooed, it will make me question their judgement and how serious they are a little.

Tattoos are pretty cool in general, but they do open a person up to criticism, whether that is fair or not.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

You couldn't be more wrong. Wow guy.

Are you trolling? You think you can judge how someone is as a person based on their appearance?

Of course there are a few indicators, but they still mean nothing. A tattoo might only mean the person got a tattoo, pretty much nothing else. They may even hate their tattoo.

[YYC in LAX]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Are you trolling? You think you can judge how someone is as a person based on their appearance?

1. No
2. Yes

Didn't realize this was the politically correct thread.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Are you trolling? You think you can judge how someone is as a person based on their appearance?

Of course there are a few indicators, but they still mean nothing. A tattoo might only mean the person got a tattoo, pretty much nothing else. They may even hate their tattoo.

Buhahahaha. Of course you can...are you kidding around?

[Locke]

We all know that you shouldnt judge people by their appearance. We still do it anyways. People try and deduce what they can with whatever information they have available and tattoos carry a negative social connotation as they have a stigma attached to them.

You shouldnt judge people by their appearance, people still will, and they wont always be right, in fact they'll be wrong more often than not. They're still going to keep right on doing it.

[Komskies]

Studies have shown that people form a first impression of somebody within the first 1/10 of a second of seeing them. Tattoos would for sure factor into that first impression.

[afc wimbledon]

having put the cat among the pidgeons so to speak I will add,
I did say 'in general' meaning I am sure there are cops with tats that are fine, it is just my experiance that the cops that tend to identify with the whole bad boy lifestyle, get tats, ride a harley in their off hours etc are terrible cops, trust me there are a few of them in the VPD and as a foster parent and ex prison staff member I have to deal with them all the time, a good cop needs to be low key, patient and supremely self confident in him (or her) self's ability to handle things without laying the boots in, and for whatever reason guys that get tats don't tend to be this, they tend to be somewhat less secure about themselves and more prone to macho bull.

In any other field it doesn't matter, but when I meet a cop or a prison guard who has tats (assuming they are in their 20's and are still into tats etc) I know they will be crap at what they do, I also know they won't even know they are a bit crap at what they do.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

@undercoverbrother Settle down there AP English guy.

No, I never said it's a direct reflection. Relax.

My original post(s) made fun of tribal tattoos. Nage basically said someone's tattoos "pretty much means nothing as to how they are as a person."

I couldn't disagree more. There's a stereotype that goes along with tribal tattoos and that stereytope is douchbagery.

If anyone out there has a tribal tattoo they can be assured there people are out there making fun of them behind their back everywhere they go. Not everyone, but people like me.

LOL, I'm pretty sure this guy's choice of tattoo is a reflection of what he's all about:

And you are so much better.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

having put the cat among the pidgeons so to speak I will add,
I did say 'in general' meaning I am sure there are cops with tats that are fine, it is just my experiance that the cops that tend to identify with the whole bad boy lifestyle, get tats, ride a harley in their off hours etc are terrible cops, trust me there are a few of them in the VPD and as a foster parent and ex prison staff member I have to deal with them all the time, a good cop needs to be low key, patient and supremely self confident in him (or her) self's ability to handle things without laying the boots in, and for whatever reason guys that get tats don't tend to be this, they tend to be somewhat less secure about themselves and more prone to macho bull.

In any other field it doesn't matter, but when I meet a cop or a prison guard who has tats (assuming they are in their 20's and are still into tats etc) I know they will be crap at what they do, I also know they won't even know they are a bit crap at what they do.

Hahaha... What a ridiculous post, don't be so ignorant.

I have close to 100 hours of tattoo time, I just really like art etc.. Thats it..

Guess what I have 2 University degrees, an additional diploma from another University, I ride a motorcycle and not one of the assumptions you make about people with tattoos applies to me. Maybe you need to change your way of thinking.

What about my gf, deans list, masters degree, and likely a med student in the next year. She has sleeves and has been riding a motorcycle for over a decade.. Tattoos and ability aren't related.


There is likely an equal or greater number of those without tats who fit into your stereotype of tattooed people. You are just picking up on the tattoos

I'm sure you could find similar results among people who drive lifted trucks or another variable of your choosing.

That said, they aren't for everyone and I expect and am prepared for a less than favourable reaction.

I wear a shirt and tie to work and for years kept them completely covered and no one had any idea. These days I don't really care.

Get out of the 1950's.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by AFireInside

Hahaha... What a ridiculous post, don't be so ignorant.

I have close to 100 hours of tattoo time, I just really like art etc.. Thats it..

Guess what I have 2 University degrees, an additional diploma from another University, I ride a motorcycle and not one of the assumptions you make about people with tattoos applies to me. Maybe you need to change your way of thinking.

What about my gf, deans list, masters degree, and likely a med student in the next year. She has sleeves and has been riding a motorcycle for over a decade.. Tattoos and ability aren't related.


There is likely an equal or greater number of those without tats who fit into your stereotype of tattooed people. You are just picking up on the tattoos

I'm sure you could find similar results among people who drive lifted trucks or another variable of your choosing.

That said, they aren't for everyone and I expect and am prepared for a less than favourable reaction.

I wear a shirt and tie to work and for years kept them completely covered and no one had any idea. These days I don't really care.

Get out of the 1950's.

In this you are right, as a cop you will spend most of your day being insulted continuesly, anything that some drunken crackhead can come up with to push your buttons, as such you had better be absoloutly confident in who you are on the inside and dudes with tats, driving a mustang, or a lifted pick up, wearing ed hardy t shirts or all kinds of other externally applied machismo will have their buttons pushed reletively easily, it equally applies to cops who work out to roid levels, these are all guys that are drawn to a certain mage of themselves who will likely react when that image is challenged.

Unless you have stood on a unit having some kid spit in your face while telling you your daughter is a whore and he will be stooping her as soon as he gets out you have no idea how fine a line of self esteem we are talking about here, I am not saying everyone with a tat is a moron or a ######, I am saying that my experiance of tats is they are chosen by men as they look macho, they project an image that the tat wearer wants to project, as such that person isn't going to react well under stress.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

In this you are right, as a cop you will spend most of your day being insulted continuesly, anything that some drunken crackhead can come up with to push your buttons, as such you had better be absoloutly confident in who you are on the inside and dudes with tats, driving a mustang, or a lifted pick up, wearing ed hardy t shirts or all kinds of other externally applied machismo will have their buttons pushed reletively easily, it equally applies to cops who work out to roid levels, these are all guys that are drawn to a certain mage of themselves who will likely react when that image is challenged.

Unless you have stood on a unit having some kid spit in your face while telling you your daughter is a whore and he will be stooping her as soon as he gets out you have no idea how fine a line of self esteem we are talking about here, I am not saying everyone with a tat is a moron or a ######, I am saying that my experiance of tats is they are chosen by men as they look macho, they project an image that the tat wearer wants to project, as such that person isn't going to react well under stress.

What the hell are you talking about? Driving a Mustang? They're cheap, fun and fast. That's it. Old men drive them. Young men. I think the biggest customer for Mustangs is women (they always buy the sixxer).

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Buhahahaha. Of course you can...are you kidding around?

No you can't, you might come to a personal conclusion about someone based upon appearance alone but it is almost certainly going to be inaccurate.

[zamler]

Every single person that says, hey you can't judge a person by their outward appearance, has done exactly that.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

In this you are right, as a cop you will spend most of your day being insulted continuesly, anything that some drunken crackhead can come up with to push your buttons, as such you had better be absoloutly confident in who you are on the inside and dudes with tats, driving a mustang, or a lifted pick up, wearing ed hardy t shirts or all kinds of other externally applied machismo will have their buttons pushed reletively easily, it equally applies to cops who work out to roid levels, these are all guys that are drawn to a certain mage of themselves who will likely react when that image is challenged.

Unless you have stood on a unit having some kid spit in your face while telling you your daughter is a whore and he will be stooping her as soon as he gets out you have no idea how fine a line of self esteem we are talking about here, I am not saying everyone with a tat is a moron or a ######, I am saying that my experiance of tats is they are chosen by men as they look macho, they project an image that the tat wearer wants to project, as such that person isn't going to react well under stress.

Correlation doesn't equal causation. Just because you happen to work with troubled kids and just because some of those troubled kids also have tattoos does not mean everyone with tattoos has the same issues or motivations as your kids.

I know a pretty wide selection of people with tattoos, from family to friends to co-workers and I can honestly say, knowing all of those people well and having seen their art, none of them are "trying to look macho" and in fact, none are using their tattoos to try and "project an image". Some of them are young, some older and one (before he died a few years back) was my 70 year old Grandfather. I can promise you, peoples motivations for getting tattoos is very wide ranging...Granddad wasn't trying to be gangsta, I can assure you.

I mean sure, I have no doubt there are lots of people with "tats" that want to look tough, or macho, or whatever else. But the point you seem to be missing is that these people are not the majority or the norm. If you'd like to make broad stroke judgements about those with tattoos, I would strongly suggest getting to know a wider cross section of the tattoo'd population.

[afc wimbledon]

If we are talking joining the police we are talking generally about someone getting a tat between the ages of 20 and 35, and yes I am drawing a broad brush here but I will stand by my wide experiance of my friends with tats, they all want to look like they have a bit of an edge to them, which is fine for most jobs, it is just cops I have found it indicates they will struggle more with having their image challanged.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Sliver

What the hell are you talking about? Driving a Mustang? They're cheap, fun and fast. That's it. Old men drive them. Young men. I think the biggest customer for Mustangs is women (they always buy the sixxer).

fair enough Ill stick with harley and or lifted truck, and add a yukon danalli with spinners in leiu of the mustang

I'm not usually one to criticize grammar, etc on a message board but seriously... AFC... please... my eyeballs are bleeding.

[YYC in LAX]

Originally Posted by valo403

No you can't, you might come to a personal conclusion about someone based upon appearance alone but it is almost certainly going to be inaccurate.

Serious question. So if you had Valo403 tattooed on your body and I saw you in public, would I be wrong to judge that you live in or lived in the Calgary area and listen to HIM?

Would that be one of those "almost certainly" inaccurate conclusions you're talking about?

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Serious question. So if you had Valo403 tattooed on your body and I saw you in public, would I be wrong to judge that you live in or lived in the Calgary area and listen to HIM?

Would that be one of those "almost certainly" inaccurate conclusions you're talking about?

Serious question. How does making a judgement about where a person is from, or what they are interested based on their ink, have to do with making a judgement call about their character based on their ink?