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CxCx
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 Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:11 pm Post subject: just venting... |
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I need to know if I'm out of line here or not :
I'm working tonight (not apprenticing, but working one of my part-time jobs) and a friend comes up to me : "Hey man, I got my first ink today". As he says this, I notice that he has cut paper towels masking taped to his arms, over his triceps. I muster out a "cool man" and he proceeds to losen one of the wraps to show me what's underneath : A nautical star, red and flesh. I didn't know what to say. The line-work (while not the worst I've ever seen) wasn't that hot (under my level, and I'm just an apprentice) and the color work was spotty. I ask him "where did you get those?". He responds "Oh, my friend's Buddy from Florida came up with him. he used to tattoo at a studio in NYC. We did it in my living room.". Now, looking at this work, i KNOW that this is bullshit. He's obviously just another scratcher fucking people up. I ask my "friend" about all of the seemingly (to me, anyway) obvious cleanliness issues involved. His only answer was "Yeah, he told me that the needles were new and he threw them away afterward." That's right, he didn't see the guy remove the needles from their clave pouches and he watched as he simply threw them into an everyday, all purpose trash can. Gritting my teeth, I ask my "pal", "how much did he charge you?". I won't go into exact figures, but it was more than my MENTOR would've charged to do this, let alone if i did it for him (and he got the apprentice-discount that we do).I was floored. I began to ask him about the after-care instructions that this "artist" gave him, and they got stranger and stranger as he went : Keep the wrap on for 4 to 5 hours. Soak the area in a scalding hot bathtub, and he was told "get some A&D ointment. If you can't finad that, neosporin will do". Now, by this point I was livid. This was so ridiculous to me (although i should note that I've used A&D in the past, and, if used VERY sparely, it works pretty well). I was just blown away by all this. I was honestly so angry that I could barely conjure up the composure to say "yeah man, catch ya later" as I walked away.
Am i abnormal because this bothered me so much? Because my hands are shaking in anger as i type this? Because a person that, until tonight, i assumed was a reasonably intelligent individual, pulled this stunt of pure stupidity? Maybe I'm crazy for letting this get to me, but maybe not. Opinions???????
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SharpTattoos
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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Nope. You're not alone. There are times that peoples stupidity will just make me see red and shake. It gets hard to breathe. It's like you can't believe someone would jeapordize their health and skin and a trade that you love... and then insult you by even bringing up that kind of stupidity... and they really believe they got a bargain.
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BadWolf
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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My standard reply when someone starts to show me shit like that:
I turn away quickly and say, "I'm not interested....I am sure you got WHATEVER you DESERVE."
I do not discuss it, I do not help them with healing instructions, and I do not pity them. When they want to know why it's still bleeding after 72 hours or what those gawdawful red streaks are going down their arm, or why their fingers are turning a greenish shade of purple, I tell them to ask their "artist". I am not responsible for cleaning up your messes.
I am not concerned with offending them...if they are that stupid, I do not feel close enough to them to be concerned with their feelings, or hurting them. I do not have any friends that are that stupid, and if one suddenly became that stupid, I would consider them a detriment and a danger to the rest of my circle of friends, and would abandon them for the safety of everyone else. |
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dragon guy tattoo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:23 am Post subject: |
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I think that is where I screwed up in the past. I helped the best I could with the healing of the shit stains on peoples bodies that I see walk into the shop. I think Bad wolf has a point there. Just tell them that it isn’t my responsibility and they need to check with the scratcher… oops I mean artist that messed them up in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, having that happen in my shop makes my skin crawl and the hair rises on the back of my neck. Just to have the F@#king balls to walk into my shop with someone else’s F@#K-UP on your body and ask me for the healing instructions just blows me away. Talk about asking for an ass kicking.
I thought I was the only one that took this crap to heart… it is just too bad that I still take it personally and let it eat me up inside. Hell I even wonder if it is all worth it for me to care sometimes. I just want to create some art and make people happy.
Here is a sign of real ignorance for you. Wait till this S#^T happens… some ass-monkey walks into the shop and asks you if they can buy some needles and ink from you. Get that… needles and ink. How stupid is that? Oh here is the kicker, they don’t understand why you get upset with them… even though you were the one who forked out all the money to do this, follow all the training, had all the commitment, follow all the laws and do everything in your power to keep safety and quality on the table; after all, this is your livelihood.
Hell these people don’t care. They can do the “TAT” cheaper than me. S#^T they can do it for a lot less without all my overhead. And the person getting the “TAT” only had to pay a pack of smoke so they could sport it to the emergency room doctor on shift. Better than paying the extra money for quality and safety. Hell they could pay me a hundred bucks for a classy tattoo or you could pay 20 for that shapeless blob they are gonna have to cover later. Oh yeah I forgot the hospital is gonna want their cut for saving their arm… so that makes it what, $20 plus the ER Doc…. $850 at least. They saved the money all right. Then we left out the good part. When their stupid ass comes to its senses, they will then come to see me to cover or fix what the scratcher did to them.
God I love Irony.
Thanks for listening to my vent, have a nice day. 
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BadWolf
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I think Bad wolf has a point there. |
Yes, but when I wear a hat, people don't usually notice it.
I get people asking about buying supplies all the time.
Here is what you do...
Save all your hooked needles (Bang them on the counter to hook them even more) and buy some tempra paint. Tell them they are "top of the line" and they are REALLY expensive. Sell them the shit for an assload of cash... no recipt. All they'll do is rip someone up with hooked needles, and the tempra paint will fade out before it even heals.
Why not profit from their stupidity?
They are out to profit from the stupidity of others. If their victims weren't ignorant, they wouldn't be there. |
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CxCx
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:41 am Post subject: |
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glad to see I'm not alone. I actually saw the guy again today, and everytime he brought up his tattoos, I changed the subject. bastard...anyways.....
My first week of my apprenticeship (around a year or so ago) a woman called the shop and asked if we had red ink. My mentor replies "yes". She, of course, asks "could i buy some from you?". His response : "yes, yes you can, but you have to take it out of here in your skin. Goodbye" To me, that was classic
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SharpTattoos
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 2:43 am Post subject: |
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That's another thing I don't understand. Why the hell do people assume that tattoo shops are supply houses? :/
I often ask myself why it is that I still let people's stupidity in tattooing get to me. I really do take it personally at times. But I guess if it didn't piss me off I'd know that this is not a profession that I really love... so as long as it still gets to me it shows I still care about what's happening around me.
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BadWolf
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Over the years I have had people come in and ask me about drugs, also. Like we sold cocaine there or at least knew where to buy it. I guess they think you couldn't actually make a living doing tattoos, so you MUST be doing something to suppliment your income. |
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SharpTattoos
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Well, that's one I never got...
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