Traveling for Tattoos

[Fala]

Hi All! Been absent of late working on a number of other projects.

The next few months are filled with tattoo appointments for my husband and I (yahoo!) and there has been a bit of a question revolving around traveling for tattoos. Namely: how do folks handle traveling (flight, etc) with all the cash necessary for an all day appointment in an unfamiliar city? Do you wire as much as you can to your tattoo artist and bring the remainder with you in cash, or do you bring it with you on the plane then go directly to the shop to drop it off, or visit the ATM/bank branch several times, or ????

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

[robz]

For my last appointment (and for my next one in a few weeks) I had to convert quite a large amount of money into a different currency and carry it with me through the airport etc. It made sense to do the convention at home so I just stuck it in my wallet and tried to emanate a "don't fuck with me" vibe when walking around town.:cool:

To be honest I was more worried about spending it before I got to my appointment than losing it or getting mugged.

[polliwog]

I've flown with a decent amount of cash on me (not thousands, but high hundreds) and just kept it on me at all times. But I haven't been traveling anywhere particularly dangerous. Dropping it off beforehand hadn't occurred to me, but makes a lot of sense! The nervewracking part hasn't been flying with the cash so much as carrying it afterward.

[pidjones]

When traveling to India with $5-6k, we bought $500 traveler's checks (free at my bank, but I have to give advance notice that I need them that big). Can be cashed most anywhere for the usual exchange gouge.

[Patrick Bateman]

I have bank of america, so my ATMs are usually all over.

For my trip to cali in October, I am going to ask if I can paypal about 75% a week or two prior to the appointment.

[Graeme]

I've always paid cash and carried it to the shop with me. It's never occurred to me to do otherwise.

[Lance]

I'll usually bring money in with me the day of the appointment. To do otherwise just seems odd to me. I can't get used to any other way even if shops allowed it. The Credit card thing is just crazy talk for me. Sometimes I fly up w/ it, but I wake so early for my flights my brain doesn't work quite right and I forget to bring it (ssssigh...). Seeing as I usually fly up a few hours before the appointment I can easily stop off at a bank on the way in. I usually bring the exact amount (+ tip) though, so in cases w/ my usual artist, where we decide to push further than my scheduled appointment time, my artist has in the past let me find an Atm after the session. But that's likely because I've been going to her for a while and there's a level of respect and trust. Otherwise if I ever bailed on her, she'd tear me a new one. Ha!

[joakim urma]

Usually I get tattooed and then ask about the closest ATM when I know what the price is going to be. Either that or ask the artist if I can paypal the money. Even if there is a fee it's small compared to what I paid for the tattoo, and it saves me trouble in foreign countries.

[CABS]

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

I just look for the closest bank to the shop I'm going to. I make that my absolute last stop before getting tattooed.

I try not to travel with the actual tattoo cash in hand.

Also, you could PayPal the tattooer as much you can before hand. Wiring money can be expensive. As of right now PayPal is a cheaper option if your tattooer accepts it.

Healing with Tegaderm while traveling is the best!

I've always paid cash and carried it to the shop with me. It's never occurred to me to do otherwise.

Note to self: Mug Graeme before his tattoo appointment(s). =)

I'll usually bring money in with me the day of the appointment.

Note to self: Mug Lance before his tattoo appointment(s). =)

[Fala]

Totally @CABS!

I think that traveling/flying across the country with a ton of cash in your pocket is not the wisest idea. In NYC, I get the cash right before the appointment, because my bank is 2 blocks away from the shop usually. I've had to go to work and such with the cash before, and it is nervewracking.

[suburbanxcore]

I asked this recently in some thread and got a lot of these same replies. I used to try not to travel with too much on the busses and subways through New York. I would end up hitting ATMs once I got there, usually at the bodega right around the corner from Kings Avenue.

[tatB]

I'm a big wimp and have been paying with credit card lately. As a 6'4" ~200lb white male I feel like I am an easy target. When I do use cash it is tightly balled up in a sweaty fist in my pocket.

[polliwog]

My bank has a low daily ATM max, so if I want cash, the only way is to go to the branch down the street from me. I'm kind of surprised that you all can hit up any old ATM beforehand...downside to using an otherwise fantastic local bank, I guess.

I do try to carry the cash somewhere other than my wallet/handbag.

[Marwin3000]

I never really thought of it like that. I usually just take out a lot of cash close to the studio. Never had any problems.

[Fala]

@suburbanxcore - I recall you mentioning that in another thread. Which is why I asked about traveling (vs staying local-ish) for tattoos and what folks do with their funds.

[suburbanxcore]

@Fala For sure. I've never travelled too much, but there are definite concerns. @polliwog also mentioned ATM/purchase maximums, which my bank has and has put a cramp in my style before. Better to ask and have some ideas than get burnt.

[jen7]

When the shop allows (I ask ahead of time) I pay with plastic but always tip cash, which can be a wad in and of itself.

[9Years]

In country: usually bring it with me.

Out of country: research which banks are affiliated with mine to minimize any weird fees, find one close to the shop and treat it like my regular bank (usually I've found you can go to a teller as you normally would). To get around ATM limits I've taken out half of what I've needed the day before then half the day of.

[Synesthesia]

This is something I've always wondered about for any future traveling I might do. It's good to read some responses and get an idea.

For now, the furthest/most unfamiliar city I've traveled to has only been maybe 3 hours away. I'd been there a couple times for trips so I kind of knew the area but had never been to that part before. I ended up hiding my cash in a small, hardly noticeable pocket in my backpack...true someone could just take the whole backpack, but I was hoping they'd be discouraged by my seemingly empty backpack (just some water and a jacket in the main part of it) :rolleyes:. It ended up not even being a concern because it was sort of a tourist-y location anyway so I think I was probably safe.

[Lance]

Ha ha @CABS. In my defense my route is pretty much straight from home to airport to shop. I don't and would not randomly wander around city streets w/ a wad of cash in pocket. In my case the danger would pretty much be the same if I brought cash or stopped at a bank moments before. Except moments before someone could see me taking money out of my account and follow me. As always, anywhere, one should be aware of their surroundings and be careful. Tasers, pepper spray, and open carry may apply. 

W/ regards to PayPal and such it's just a weird idea for me because every shop in my experience is cash only (bills in hand) so it never even occurred to me that it might be acceptable. Technology these days. Yup, I'm an old fart.

This may be getting into the whole let's not advertise bit so I'll shut up now.

[CABS]

W/ regards to PayPal and such it's just a weird idea for me because every shop in my experience is cash only (bills in hand) so it never even occurred to me that it might be acceptable. Technology these days. Yup, I'm an old fart.

I'm an old fart too. I'm all about "cash is king."

However, I'll use PayPal to send a deposit to someone that isn't local. I've done this a couple of times.

I've also received a Visa Gift Card for Christmas a couple times. So the first idea that came to mind was to put down a deposit somewhere that takes Visa. Safe to say that my parents never gave me a Visa Gift Card for Christmas ever again.

[pidjones]

Just a caveat that carrying large sums (probably more than tattoo money), particularly to other countries, may bring you under the scrutiny of non-criminal-types, too. Particularly when they notice several repeat trips for short duration. You may need to show what was purchased. We were once followed for an entire day by a government agent until satisfied with our intent.

[Fala]

Holy cow @pidjones!

[Scott R]

I asked this recently in some thread and got a lot of these same replies. I used to try not to travel with too much on the busses and subways through New York. I would end up hitting ATMs once I got there, usually at the bodega right around the corner from Kings Avenue.

Just a note, if I were wanting to score some cash I would watch atms then pilfer. I would guess 99.99 % of the time no one would ever guess someone else had 1000 in their pocket and you would make safely to your appointment.

[suburbanxcore]

@Scott R Definitely very possible, but I was always just as nervous of pulling my phone or wallet out and a wad falling out on the subway or a bus or something. I always felt that a one block walk was safer than a few days of public transit and possibly losing my bookbag or something if I had it in there. I don't know that there's really one right or wrong answer, I guess.