Help with tattoo "artist" in St George Utah

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KingJames
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:44 pm

Hi all,

this is my first post here and i need some advice. I was visiting my little brother in st george utah last week and we wanted to get tattoos. One of the shops we went to had an artist who smelled of alcohol. Obviously we left the place.

The problem is.... should i report him to anyone? And who would i report him to? Of course i was lucky enough not to let im touch me but, what about the next guy. I'd feel pretty bad is someone got cut up because i didn't say anything.

By the way we went in in the early afternoon on a thursday, way too early for an cocktail... not that that makes a difference.
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Aivanne
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:38 pm

no. if he wants to get fucked up at work, that's his problem.
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CxCx
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:59 pm

I don't think you have to report him to any authorities, per se, but I WOULD make sure to tell anyone that askes you about tattoos to AVOID that place.

IMO, bad word-of-mouth is infinitely worse than simply getting watched/fined by the local board of health.
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KingJames
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:37 pm

The problem CxCx is that I don't live in St George. My brother does so he can trash the guy if anyone asks. What you guys are saying is that I should just let it go and not worry about the next guy?

I was thinking about calling the owner and telling them about their employee. A shop owner, I think, definately has a right to know. I own a small retail shop and I know I'd want to know if any of my employees were doing something unethical or illegal. The owner has as much liability as the artist.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if the health boards or police would do anything and I'd just be creating trouble for me and my brother.

I'm also curious if it normal for tattoo artists to drink (or smoke up) while they work?

And Aivanne, I assume you're kidding.
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Live4him
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:12 pm

trouble is, that could have been the shop owner, or the owner might not actually care..
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Aivanne
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:16 pm

KingJames wrote:
And Aivanne, I assume you're kidding.
no. it really is HIS problem. see Wal Mart employees are not alowed to get fucked up. says who ? Wal Mart.


So if the shop owner thinks it's cool, well then it's cool.

I agree with you that he deserves to be shot, but legally, he can drink as many beers as he wants to.
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KingJames
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:24 pm

Really?

A tattoo artist can be under the influence of alcohol or a narcotic and still tattoo? I mean legally not ethicly. That seems weird to me. You'd think there would be a law or health regulation against it. At least a code of professionalism.

I mean the potental for public health hazards are present more in a tattoo shop than in wal-mart
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CxCx
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Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:56 pm

the laws concerning tattoo studios are VERY sketchy in the majority of places in the US.

If this guy wasn't the owner, then it's not unreasonable to talk to the ownder about it and voice your concern. Trouble is, if he's not the owner, the owner still more than likely knows what's going on (which is sad).

Tattoo artists, in general, live on word of mouth. If someone is HAPPY with a tattoo, then they're going to tell a dozen people, who will think of the name of the "good shop" that their friend raved about, and mention it to THEIR dizen friends, and so on and so forth.

The exact same chain of even will happen if a person is UNHAPPY with a tattoo/how a shop is run, and THEY voice it to THEIR dozen friends. It's all viral.
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Aivanne
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:23 am

exactly what Cx said. you noticed the guy was drunk so you left. you did the right thing. hopefuly more people will do so.

in some states, you don't even have to pass a BBP class to start tattooing....so you can imagine how slacky are the tattoo laws.
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CxCx
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:04 am

Aiv's right on the money. I know here in PA, laws concerning tattoos/tattooing/tattoo studios/tattoo artists are all only on the local level. The only statewide law is that no person under the age of 18 can be legally tattooed with written consent of their legal parent or guardian.

My boss pushed for 10 years to finally get an ordinance passed in our city (and it took getting elected to the local board of health to actually get it done), and I know that we are in the vast MINORITY of cities in PA that have laws/ordinances like ours in place.
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LBT
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:49 am

I would agree! Tell the owner as he has the right to know about this,,,we cant control everything though.
Last edited by LBT on Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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KingJames
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:46 am

I guess i just assumed the laws were the same or similar as they are in New york. They have a tattoo department i the city health department and tattooing under the influence is grounds for revokation of the liscence (They have stickers posted in shop of who to call)

I think I'll call the owner but I'm starting to think that nothing will come of it. My brother told me that the place and owner were arrested last year because they were running a porn shop in their back room without a liscence. He didn't know this at the time we went. You have to remember, this is Utah, a big deal.

I guess I'll have to tell the owner. It is the only responsible thing to do.
mshaf

Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:46 am

KingJames wrote:Really?

A tattoo artist can be under the influence of alcohol or a narcotic and still tattoo? I mean legally not ethicly. That seems weird to me. You'd think there would be a law or health regulation against it. At least a code of professionalism.
Does the name Kat von D ring a bell?
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KingJames
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:40 am

That really sucks then.

I never got into those tattoo shows. I felt they were all just playing charactetures of tattoo artists. I know a coupe artists and they all seem to be law abiding family men.
John Brandes
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Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:36 am

I am truly sorry that you had to experience that kind of response in the
studio. I am one of the other artists that worked in there.
Last edited by John Brandes on Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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