I am more than offended by the original post. I am not from a working-class background at all, quite the opposite. I have an IQ of 147. I am also covered in tattoos. People who fuel this outdated view make my life a misery, it's the reason I get turned down for jobs, get funny looks on buses or stared at when I'm out with my daughter. You can see a few of mine here...
This what i was going to say, even though it is such a old fashioned view, unfortunately you are still judged for jobs etc on your appearance, you can have all the skills, knowledge and experience but it's your appearance that counts. Someone with piercings and tattoos generally would not get the job over someone who hasn't.
I personally don't like them and I'm too much of a wimp to have one. But i know through my job how horrid it is to be judged by your appearance. So i never have and never will judge anyone on face value.
To be honest though op this really isn't a debate is it?. It's going to offend one way or another
Me too I'm also wimping out. Everytime I think I want one, I then think , what if I change my mind or dont like the way they do it, what will it look like when Im 50, what if people will judge me, what if it hurts too much that i run away halfway through lol
Too many what ifs, and if you doubt yourself this much then tatoos are definitely not for you. Each to their own, I really admire people who have some really arty well thought out stuff on their bodies and its tasteful and are proud of what it stands for rather than my mate did it so did i sort of thing.
I think OP was being a bit blunt and yes offensive, as its like any sort of personal body enhancement, piercings, hair colour change, boob job, lipo, botox, something you know thats fairly drastic in change or maybe permanent or different from conventional, its kinda scary for some and makes them want to pigeon hole people into certain categories. so yeah I dont think its up for debate as its such a personal thing that its like saying someone is not accepted for having freedom of expression.
I did used to think only sailors had tatoos when i was a nipper lol as my naval grampa had blue scribblings up his arm in a rather crude way, naked women etc. so maybe thats where OP's mum got her pre conceptions from.
Yes a lot of different walks of life get them done now for one reason or another, this threads proven that point, so afraid OP's mums wrong, end of.
To me, they are disgusting, regardless of whether they are well done or not.
' on her bum after her late mother. My mum jumped on the bandwagon and got my name & my daughters name on the nape of her neck. I plan to have a tattoo myself in November.
for surely in the 21st century they have the ability to sterilize or use sterile equipment for this. 
