WhyMista

Bottom/inside of the finger sucked pretty hard. Inner chest/breastbone area was gnarly too

The inside of my fingers didn't hurt much save for the part near the knuckle. Same with the back of my hand it wasn't that bad cept for near the knuckles.

I was in the Navy for four years stationed with a reserve logistics squadron. We trained weekend warriors, so I never got the full Navy experience. All the old guys in our squadron loved it because it was semi-retirement for them.

Because every other guy in the barracks went out and got a Navy tattoo, I felt somewhat pressured to get one but still wasn't sure about the whole tattoo thing. So I got a dolphin (unrelated to the Navy) on my hip so it could be easily covered. I've thought about getting something different to commemorate my time, but I basically saw the Navy as my ticket to college, so I don't want to over exaggerate my enthusiasm for my time spent.

Eh I had already been accepted into the NROTC and UT when I enlisted so I joined literally because it was right after I'd turned 17 which was two months after we invaded Iraq and I figured war might be fun, which it was. The GI Bill is nice but I didn't need it to go to college like I am now.

I think combat arms do have a lot more pride in their units. I think my experience might have been tattoo worthy if that were my career track.

I am/was an officer in the AMEDD, a notoriously disgruntled/frustrated bunch.

I agree. I know coming from the infantry there is more pride than anywhere else. But that makes sense especially since we have been at war for over a decade and the majority of infantry bn and other combat arms have seen at least some combat and thus you will take more pride in your time in.

However save for those in the Army who I know have seen combat the vast majority of soldiers I see don't seem to have much pride in their branch let alone know anything about the history of their unit or major figures in the Army's history. You can find the most remf Marine and they'll know every single remotely famous Marine and I've seen supply guys and admin clerks with motto tats. You'll be hard pressed to find any grunt who doesn't have some tattoos directly related to the Corps, his unit and/or his deployment. I know almost all of my boys have both.

There is the benefit of us being so much smaller that frankly the PC bullshit that has made the rest of the military pussified doesn't affect us as much. When I got out in 07 we could still haze the shit out of people and hell just a few years back we had Marines pissing on dead taliban and a STA plt in front of a flag that looked like SS lightning bolts...(Even though the SS stands for Scout Sniper....) and we because we're Marines can get away with that type of shit because at the end of the day everyone loves us.

I think they can be real cool, most marines I know have some sort of marine related tattoo and some have company and MOS but army doesnt seem to rep as much unless airborne. Air force not at all, infact I have never seen an air force related tattoo and its prob considered taboo if your an officer

True but I think its because we as Marines are taught to take pride in ourselves and our history. The average soldier, or airman and probably sailor as well doesn't know much of their branches history compared to Marines.

I have many that I have that are all related to my time in the Corps. Most are in my profile. I'll have to see if I can find them again. My favorites by far are the ones on my hands with our unit call sign and then our companies motto

I do usually about 30 minutes after I get it and for possibly the next day or so sort of wish I had gotten something different or placed it somewhere else but then once the itching starts it goes away. Not sure why. I've never regretted any tattoo I've gotten though after that short period of time.

Right above the knuckle near my pinky finger on both hands when I was getting the back of my hands done. My wrist and fingers didn't hurt very much, side of my fingers near the knuckle did a bit. Side of the palms wasn't that bad

I will leave the wrap on till I get home, then wash it lightly with some soap, pat dry with a paper towel, then put some A&D or Auquaphore(usually aquaphore) for the first day or two or till it peels then I switch to lubriderm and just keep it moisturized so that it doesn't end up looking dry.

This time with the back of my hands I used coconut oil after the first day or two and its been just fine as well.

I have many tattoos on my hands. Two words on the knuckles of each hand which are about two years old and look just as good as they did when I got them, the sides of my I guess palms with a phrase on each and are around the same age as the knuckles and have yet to be touched up and only have minor fading which a simple touch up could fix and then along the outside of each pointer finger which is about a year old which has faded a bit but nothing a touch up could not fix. However unlike most people I ride a motorcycle so I rode to the shop with riding gloves not cruiser style but motoGP style gloves and as its my only mode of transportation throughout the entire healing process I was putting on and taking off these gloves man times a day and also sweating as they were done during the middle of the texas summers. I do take good care of them and simply by the nature of wanting to keep my hands from being all dry and cracked i keep them moisturized constantly.

If you want them get them, as long as they are done by someone who knows what they are doing and you care for them properly you should be fine. Yes you'll probably need to get them touched up but don't you also have to go get say an engagement ring etc checked once a year and possibly cleaned to ensure it looks its best for eternity?!

Welcome and it looks good so far.

I'm looking forward to getting a piece on my chest as well sometime later this year.

I'm a PC gamer right now and I've started on fallout 3, downloading dishonored, love fifa 14 and just started playing far cry 2

Oh I am reading A Good and Useful Hurt Its about a tattooist and is supposed to be a bit "off" still early into it though.

I rarely read anything fiction but when I do recently its been Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

I primarily read academic books. Currently reading Mask of Sanity and the Psychopath test. I'm a psych major and find it far more interesting to do research than to read most fiction. I am mainly focused on psychopathy, sociopathy, schizophrenia and borderline PD. I read most fiction on my nexus 7 but for academic stuff I want a hard copy although I do have the dsm-IV-TR and dsm-5 on my nexus 7 as well for reference.

Thank you. FWIW I never said "all" people; I said some -- so why not err on the side of caution and be polite? Also keep in mind that some people might find a comment rude or offensive but keep it to themselves to avoid a confrontation. I am generally one of those people.

BTW I don't like snobs either.

Well like I said I would not ask that question. I have friends I've known since HS who have tattoos and I've never asked how much they paid for them. Not because I think it would offend them but because it never crosses my mind to ask. If someone finds something rude or offensive and then does not inform the other party that it was bothersome then they have no one to blame but themselves. The fact is to people who do not have tattoos or understand why we get them its merely another thing people do with their disposable income. They see getting a tattoo in the same vein as getting a new tv, car, cell phone, xbox whatever. Expecting people who have no real knowledge or desire regarding tattoos to know the unwritten rule about not asking how much something cost is just silly.

Every subset of people or niche group have rules or etiquette and unless you are part of said group or are interested why on earth would you know the do's and don'ts? It all comes down to intent, if someone is simply ignorant about something I am not going to get offended over it or get upset with them, just as when I travel to Europe or other countries I would hope that if I make an honest and innocent cultural mistake I wouldn't get crucified.

I just think its a bit silly to expect people to know this could be offensive when people with far more tattoos than I have didn't know it was taboo.

I am. I took almost ten years between my first and now my 11th.

Welcome. I'm new here as well just west of Dallas. Slowly working on getting more work done.

I know you don't but other people do -- and that's the point. Is that really so hard to grasp?

I get your point and others, I merely want to represent those who don't feel the same as you. Not everyone is bothered in the least by these questions. If I agreed with you or the others would we be having this conversation? I doubt because while I do not agree that ALL Americans feel this way I do acknowledge that some and hell maybe most do feel this way.

I however think that those who are not bothered are underrepresented. Like I said I don't think most have any ill will and thus I don't mind stupid questions. If someone asks me did I kill someone in Iraq I could get mad but for what, they asked innocently. Same as with tattoos. Unless you have malice in your heart I don't get upset.

I know you don't but other people do -- and that's the point. Is that really so hard to grasp?

What part of you and others here who find it bothersome are not the only people on the planet do you not get. You do realize there are others besides the small group who agree with you in the world right.

I would never ask you or anyone else if you've killed someone while serving in the military because it might make that person uncomfortable -- hence: rude. But I thank you for your service.

No one is saying "offensive" except for you, but there are about a dozen people on this thread alone who have explicitly said it's rude or annoying to ask about cost -- so why are you still trying to argue this point?

Because I personally don't take issue with it. I don't find it rude when its done out of innocence. I don't find it rude for someone to ask questions that in my mind and to those who are in the know are rude because they simply don't know. I judge a question based off of the persons experience. Why do I argue it because I can and because while yourself and many others here may hold this view I know many people who do not hold this view and thus I am representing that

The question makes me uncomfortable and plenty of others in this thread as well. Agreed, some have no problem with it, but now that you know some don't like the question, why ask and potentially offend or make someone uncomfortable ?

I'm born and raised in NYC. A question like this is not common. You see a stranger on the street with a nice diamond ring. You are curious how much it cost. Do you walk up to them and ask ?

As I said earlier I won't ask someone that question because I do see why it can be construed as rude or inappropriate. However I don't find it offensive because if its someone who doesn't have tattoos or know anything about them they are most likely asking an innocent albeit naive and possibly offensive question. I liken it to how people ask me if I killed anyone in Iraq. Its a dumb question but its not asked out of malice or disregard for my feelings, its borne out of ignorance and ignorance is nothing more than a lack of knowledge.

Asking people how much their tattoos cost is rude, period, in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world for the reason @scubaron mentioned: it makes people uncomfortable. Note I didn't use the word "offensive." In any case I couldn't tell you exactly how much mine cost even if you did ask. I bring cash, wait until the end of the session and pay what they ask plus tip. I don't keep a running tally.

That simply is not the case. I know more than one person with custom work who has no problem saying how long it took or how much it cost. Asking how much something someone values in the US is very common. How on earth do you know what makes people uncomfortable? You don't.

Yeah. AFL is ariel ping pong, Union is for poofs & league is a yobbos game.

And I'm lost again lol. Ariel you lost me. Poofs and yobbos I'm sure I get what you're saying. I actually still have some turns of phrases that I picked up from my UK friends. Apparently no one says lass or can't be bothered. If I win the lottery I'll just travel and get tattoos in every country I go to. Although I hate planes lol

@Breakme beer o'clock indeed. Time to savor beer, enjoy the after glow of getting another tattoo and hate you because I have an addiction to Aussie accents. I did however finally figure out the differences between AFL and rugby league and rugby union...ten days on a European cruise I was like the only American ah it was great. So funny how we UK/Aussies speak the same language but its a completely different form of the same language.

Communication is not as easy as people take for granted at the best of times.

Add go the equation we have mixed cultural origins with the forum, add our only means of communication is exchanged through written form, it's easy to misinterpret a persons exact intention at times. I think @WhyMista has done very well in explaining what was meant which was taken, even by myself out of its original context.

And that, no matter where we come from is called respect. I can read that very clearly in between those lines.

I agree. We even the best of us are used to speaking and assuming about our own culture and unless we pay specific attention to the fact that now forums are becoming more global we're bound to end up making assumptions that viewed by our own culture would seem to make sense while to others would seem ludicrous.

I will say this I am glad that while in school and as an adult I've been exposed to many cultures. I've had the pleasure of being in central America and Europe on more than one occasion, the last time was last fall so it helps me remember that although we all have a common bond be it with tattoos or speaking english we are very different in our own respects.

I think one issue that we as Americans have is that we don't have a culture so to speak. We are a conglomerate of everyone so there is far less tradition especially if you leave the southern states. Not so say that the west coast or east coast don't have respect but there isn't that underlying understanding that just because you can do/ask/say doesn't mean you should do/ask/say.

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Oh I'm drinking beer and eating red meat its well now the 5th of july but fuck it lol

@WhyMista you asked what was so offensive about asking what tattoos cost. I gave an answer, you indicated my viewpoint was snobbish.

There are ways of communicating and sharing opinions on the internet that, even if your opinion differs, are still friendly. I didn't get that from you, therefore this is the last I will discuss with you on this topic.

Oh sorry. I wasn't trying to be unfriendly. I was still in the mindset of going off of what is the norm here stateside. Most forums I'm apart of are primarily US/Canadian so it takes me a second to remember things are different elsewhere.

I also was meaning the whats so offensive more as a rhetorical question so thats why I asked what question did I ask. That was on me. I indicated your view was snobbish before I saw you were from Austrailia. Now it makes sense especially in light of the other thread I read about tipping and the fact most of my friends from the UK and Austrailia have markedly different views on things such as that than we do here.