An Awkward Situation....Opinions Wanted!

Skylane81E said:
Hey if it's your Ferrari it isn't graffiti.
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Exactly. I thought about getting a tattoo after accompanying a friend to numerous tattoo parlors. I wimped out but said I would get one when I was 50. Now that has come and gone...

BTW this friend not only had tattoos but long hair and a beard and he spent most of his career as a pilot, albeit in one of those utility jobs.
 
I get a kick out of the phrase "utility job"... aren't they all?

Just 'cause the airline guys and gals have white shirts and stripes... they're just as "utility" as the rest of 'em. (They do get paid better, though... usually.) :)
 
denverpilot said:
I get a kick out of the phrase "utility job"... aren't they all?

Just 'cause the airline guys and gals have white shirts and stripes... they're just as "utility" as the rest of 'em. (They do get paid better, though... usually.) :)
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When you fly people that's a "service" job, like a bus driver. :D

I've done about equal parts of both.
 
Ahh, I see the destination. "Service" means putting up with the flying public. :)
 
denverpilot said:
So you're saying you trust her with your expensive assets? :rofl:
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Well I wouldn't say I trust her with them, but . . . . :D

You guys are a trip on the tats etc. You wonder why GA is dying? There is got to be a new "breed" of younger pilots. More and more younger people have tats. If everybody liked the same thing we'd all wanna hump grandma right? (there's a hint of sarcasm in there somehwere lol).

For me it doesn't matter. I made it in life despite having MANY tats. I did plan ahead and they can all be hidden with socks, and short sleeve shirts.

Most people who know me both professionally and personally don't even know I have them. I'm very conservative by nature, with a few eccentricities that only people who know me very closely know about. Tats is one.

So to the OP if you can start "mitigating your damages" I would START NOW. Make up your mind. Pro pilot or not?

You are NOT going to change the (aviation) world. No matter if you're right or not.

PS I find chicks with no tats boring . . . most of them are not good "dancers" :hairraise:
 
Geez. I don't have any tatoos or piercings (no, not even ears) and not to agree with him but I don't dance. Not sure if I'm good at it or bad at it but the last time I danced (long ago) - there was alcohol involved - and a female friend said I looked like I had Tourette's Syndrome. I'm sort of sensitive and decided to never dance again after that night.
 
LOL Ms. Kimberly . . . that was my idea of a subtle euphamism for something else . . . :D

On another note, "dance" parters are like pizza. They're all good some are just outstanding :yikes:
 
On the subject of tattoos, I know a number of very conservative, former military, older guys who have tattoos. My former boss was one of them. You could see the tail of a cat hanging down every time he wore a short-sleeved shirt. Maybe the taboo part depends on the type and extent of the tattoo. I can't think of anyone in that group who has multiple piercings, though.
 
My daughter, age 12, insisted she had to get her ears pierced. Her dad resisted, said, "Wait 'til you're 16." :( She fumed for another year, and finally wore him down. So he finally agreed, and told her to buy the studs and come meet him at the office after school. "The OFFICE???:eek: WAahhhhhh. Daddy, NObody's dad pierces ears. That's creepy."
"This one does," he smirked. "I KNOW my needles are clean." It was his way or no way, so she gave in. A year or three later, she decided she wanted another hole or two in her head, and this time she sneaked off to the mall, because she was sure they knew what they were doing. Had nothing but trouble and infections with that one... and finally admitted- years later, that her father WAS right after all. We framed that.
 
steingar said:
Ahem. That's an acne suffering 14 year-old. With braces. Living in his divorced mother's basement.
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Dude, you have to watch "Bad Boy Bubby", it's the best Aussie flick ever! It's about what happens if he grows up without moving out....
 
Henning said:
Dude, you have to watch "Bad Boy Bubby", it's the best Aussie flick ever! It's about what happens if he grows up without moving out....
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No I don't. Sadly, I have first degree relatives who fit the description.
 
Why don't you post a closeup of the ear? That will protect your identity and help a lot.

I keep thinking of the new fad of large nickel/quarter size ear devices (not sure ring fits). I don't blink too hard at a normal ear ring or a semi-closed hole but I admit those scream to me "I gave no thought to what I want to do when I 'grow up'"

On military and tats, that is changing. Everything must be documented and sleeves are outlawed. generally visible tats are completely discouraged if you plan to make a career. Haven't paid attention to particulars of rules since I don't do tatoos, although I don't care if it's not a sleeve.
 
Sportsman said:
Why don't you post a closeup of the ear? That will protect your identity and help a lot.

I keep thinking of the new fad of large nickel/quarter size ear devices (not sure ring fits). I don't blink too hard at a normal ear ring or a semi-closed hole but I admit those scream to me "I gave no thought to what I want to do when I 'grow up'"

On military and tats, that is changing. Everything must be documented and sleeves are outlawed. generally visible tats are completely discouraged if you plan to make a career. Haven't paid attention to particulars of rules since I don't do tatoos, although I don't care if it's not a sleeve.
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That's not a bad idea.. I can tell you there is a 1.5" pipe through it. and only one ear not both. The other ear is "virgin" if you will. As far as tats all I can do is wear long sleeves. I didn't realize that about the military.

As an update, apparently my story got gossiped around school. While we all agree that I might struggle a bit as far as getting an airline job, everyone expressed that what happened with the airshow was, and I quote, "bull****"
(yup this will probably get you guys freaking out again I know)
 
Amelia said:
My daughter, age 12, insisted she had to get her ears pierced. Her dad resisted, said, "Wait 'til you're 16." :( She fumed for another year, and finally wore him down. So he finally agreed, and told her to buy the studs and come meet him at the office after school. "The OFFICE???:eek: WAahhhhhh. Daddy, NObody's dad pierces ears. That's creepy."
"This one does," he smirked. "I KNOW my needles are clean." It was his way or no way, so she gave in. A year or three later, she decided she wanted another hole or two in her head, and this time she sneaked off to the mall, because she was sure they knew what they were doing. Had nothing but trouble and infections with that one... and finally admitted- years later, that her father WAS right after all. We framed that.
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My Dad pierced my ears too. Except we used ice, a cork behind my ears, and a needle. It worked just fine.
 
steingar said:
Gotcha. You didn't say that.

I like Jack better to numb everything. Jack Daniels, that is.
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I was a young teenager. My Dad would not have given me Jack Daniels.
 
bluee said:
I was a young teenager. My Dad would not have given me Jack Daniels.
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Sucks for you. My old man would have scored some novocaine. That is, if he approved of me piercing my ears, which he decidedly would not. Those of the tribe aren't supposed to pierce ears, get tattoos, or modify the body in any way.

The only Jews I ever saw with tattoos were concentration camp survivors. The Nazis forced them to get tattoos, which were used to keep track of who to work and who to "liquidate". I'll never forget their stories until the day I die. I'll never let one of those damn needles touch my skin, ever.
 
I'm a girl. Ear piercing is acceptable, except now I rarely wear earrings. Ice worked just fine. I would never get a tattoo, though.
 
We all make our own choices in life, and we are the only ones who could possibly be responsible for the outcome of our own decisions. Had you instead elected to become a police officer, a soldier, or a firefighter, and had been maimed or fatally injured in the course of your duties, the real responsibility would lay only with yourself. You made the decision to take that course in your life.

By you deciding to disfigure your own body, it is not others fault on how they view you, it is yours alone, no one else's.

It is not fair when a bad guy shoots a cop, or a firefighter falls through a burning roof, or how people look at other people, but that is the way it is, life itself is not necessarily fair.

After spending probably thousands to make yourself look cool, or to be popular, or even to make a statement about who you are, it is now who you are. You are a person that could not be called "mainstream", yet you now want to be in a "mainstream" occupation.

There is nothing wrong with your aspiration to be a professional pilot, in fact it is downright honorable. Since you have worked so hard, and spent so much so that you would not "fit in" with mainstream people, you, like many others who didn't "fit in" will now probably have to work considerably harder to "fit in". Translated, that means you are going to have to prove your worth a lot more than the nice clean cut guy applying for the same job as you will have to. Sure, it isn't fair, but it was your choice.

The Tuskegee Airmen had a similar problem as yours, not "fitting in". They had to work harder, fly better, be more courageous, than their white counterparts, and so they did. They made themselves famous for overcoming adversity, much like you are probably going to have to do for the rest of your life.

Unlike the Tuskegee Airmen, not fitting in was your choice, and your choice alone. Your path through a mainstream world is going to be harder, you will be alone, not part of a group. I sympathize with your plight, but face it, you made the choice.

John
 
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I love the holier than thou attitude people seem to take against ones who have chosen to get tattoos or piercings.
 
Horus927 said:
That's not a bad idea.. I can tell you there is a 1.5" pipe through it. and only one ear not both. The other ear is "virgin" if you will. As far as tats all I can do is wear long sleeves. I didn't realize that about the military.

As an update, apparently my story got gossiped around school. While we all agree that I might struggle a bit as far as getting an airline job, everyone expressed that what happened with the airshow was, and I quote, "bull****"
(yup this will probably get you guys freaking out again I know)
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:confused::confused::confused::confused:Of course it's Bullsh!t. What does that have to do with anything? 90% of everything I've ever had to deal with has always been bullsh!t.

This is what I meant in my first post when I said "grow up". You use "fair" like it means something you expect from others, and you complained when it wasn't fair. This is what children do. Adults accept as a given that life isn't fair and is loaded with bullsh!t and we do what we need to do to work around it. We still think about fair, but only in how we project, not receive.

Unfortunately you didn't realize this before you turned your body into a modern art exhibition without understanding that not many people want to pay to see it much less have to look at it all day.

There is a reason that most artists are "starving artists" nobody wants to look at their crap.

You can only trust yourself to be fair. If you act fairly to others, you trust karma pays you back with fairness in return. That's how adults handle "fair". Either that or they turn into evil bastards....
 
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Horus927 said:
I love the holier than thou attitude people seem to take against ones who have chosen to get tattoos or piercings.
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"An Awkward Situation....Opinions Wanted!"

Apparently only if that opinion agrees with your own opinion. I gave you my opinion, you asked for it, you got it. Much like your appearance, that you asked for, and got.

In the 1800s, at state fairs and local carnivals, people paid serious money to see the tattooed lady or the tattooed man, it was all part of the freak show, along with the wild man who ate live chickens without plucking them, or gutting them.

Of course your appearance is going to attract attention, not all of it favorable, what do you expect?

It is what it is, live with it.

John
 
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K,

Here's the best advice I'm ever gonna give you:

When people give you this kind of "advice" do what I do.

GO OUT AND PROVE THEM WRONG.

-Rob (tats and all!!)
 
Henning said:
:confused::confused::confused::confused:Of course it's Bullsh!t. What does that have to do with anything? 90% of everything I've ever had to deal with has always been bullsh!t.

This is what I meant in my first post when I said "grow up". You use "fair" like it means something you expect from others, and you complained when it wasn't fair. This is what children do. Adults accept as a given that life isn't fair and is loaded with bullsh!t and we do what we need to do to work around it. We still think about fair, but only in how we project, not receive.

Unfortunately you didn't realize this before you turned your body into a modern art exhibition without understanding that not many people want to pay to see it much less have to look at it all day.

There is a reason that most artists are "starving artists" nobody wants to look at their crap.

You can only trust yourself to be fair. If you act fairly to others, you trust karma pays you back with fairness in return. That's how adults handle "fair". Either that or they turn into evil bastards....
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If you'll check all my posts i don't believe i once mentioned fairness in any way shape or form
 
John Baker said:
"An Awkward Situation....Opinions Wanted!"

Apparently only if that opinion agrees with your own opinion. I gave you my opinion, you asked for it, you got it. Much like your appearance, that you asked for, and got.

In the 1800s, at state fairs and local carnivals, people paid serious money to see the tattooed lady or the tattooed man, it was all part of the freak show, along with the wild man who ate live chickens without plucking them, or gutting them.

Of course your appearance is going to attract attention, not all of it favorable, what do you expect?

It is what it is, live with it.

John
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I asked for an opinion on what happened yes. I'm complaining about the holier than thou attitudes. You're welcome to disagree with my appearance. You can do that withouth making yourself sound like you're a better person than anyone who has a tattoo.. I mean come on, disfigurement? That's a pretty negative, unecessary word. How about modification? Not perfect but more neutral at least...
 
rbhankins001 said:
K,

Here's the best advice I'm ever gonna give you:

When people give you this kind of "advice" do what I do.

GO OUT AND PROVE THEM WRONG.

-Rob (tats and all!!)
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Thank you! I agree. Yet really I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself for that matter.
I am considering this thread dead. This has just turned into a forum for a never ending debate. Y'all can continue to argue this amongst yourselves if you wish lol, it's like a circus in here! (how ironic....)
I appreciate everyone who offered constructive input whether it was support advice or criticism.
 
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It is not holier than thou at all. If I was at a rave or whatever, where the bulk of the people were all tattooed and pierced, it would be myself who did not fit in. It would be all, what is that old fart doing here?

I would not be one of the group, no matter how cool I thought I might be. You have put yourself pretty much in the same scenario, by trying to fit in with a group of people who do not look like yourself.

You are correct, I do not believe in marking up my body unnecessarily. This attitude was shaped by the military unit I was part of. Having tattoos, or even scars could give your inquisitors another opening to chat about with you. These markings also serve as a form of identification for the authorities. Myself, I think they have enough already, so why give em more.

My opinion is that you have indeed disfigured yourself, but that is my opinion. It does not make me holier than you, it just makes me different from you.

You have much more pilot training than I have, so you are probably a much better pilot than I am. I do not know that for sure, it is just a logical assumption on my part, an assumption that I am sure many other pilots would agree with.

People make negative assumptions about you, based on your appearance alone, unless of course, you are with others who share your own values

I'll say it once again; It is what it is, live with it. Thanks to my past, I have scars, and only one eye. I also have OPCD, thanks to my own stupidity and the occupation I chose for my life. It is the way it is. I smoked cigarettes for much of my life, it was stupid. Others think it was stupid. I quit smoking fifteen years ago. It does not matter, it was still stupid of me to smoke.

Now you want to be in a profession that does not like tattoos and piercings, they think those things are stupid. I think they are stupid, nothing will ever change that. It is just they way things are.

For you, to be a professional pilot, you are going to have to overcome those "unfair opinions" by proving yourself to not be just a good pilot, but a great pilot. If you truly excel at what you do, it does not matter what you look like, what your orientation is, or what your religion is.

John
 
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BellyUpFish said:
So.. If you understand these things will be a burden to you, why are you still wearing something in your ear?

I was always a goatee guy. ALWAYS.

I had to get rid of it for an interview.

I don't like the way I look with a goatee anymore..
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For the OP: I've flown with a super-qualified pilot; a really nice guy, full beard and all. He flies 20 minute commuter runs -- to and from/to and from/to and from -- many times every week. A first time passenger might take a 1st impression, "This guy's right off the farm." Not! Several years after my flights with him I recently read a story which contained a portion of his bio. During a previous career of 20+ years he was addressed as "Captain" of the big iron between United states and Europe/Asia markets.
The full beard? Only after retirement from the airline, it not having been permitted during that career.

My guest room is open to any pilot who comes this way; dinner's on me. I admire your drive. However, if I were to be the HR guy you wouldn't make it past the initial interview, but that would have nothing to do with your qualifications.

HR
 
I guess everyone will just have to stay tuned and see where I wind up
 
Horus927 said:
I asked for an opinion on what happened yes. I'm complaining about the holier than thou attitudes. You're welcome to disagree with my appearance. You can do that withouth making yourself sound like you're a better person than anyone who has a tattoo.. I mean come on, disfigurement? That's a pretty negative, unecessary word. How about modification? Not perfect but more neutral at least...
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I myself would label it disfigurement. Sorry, I honestly don't think you or your pals are going to put anything there better or more beautiful than what Odin did in the first place. To make your body worse is disfigurement.

I can't believe you want to cover up your beautiful auburn skin. It is a mark of your heritage. I really don't get it. Must be getting old. Get off my lawn!
 
Horus927 said:
I love the holier than thou attitude people seem to take against ones who have chosen to get tattoos or piercings.
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You are way out of line buddy. John NAILED it, and gave you good advice.

Bottom line. You wanted to look like a freak, that is fine, but be prepared to be treated like one.

In addition, drop the "poor me" attitude. You made the choice. Maybe you should have thought of that before going ahead with all the body "art"?
 
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His troll-like behavior is getting a tad stale too. Hope he's done with this subject. For some reason we can't seem to get the thread ignore feature activated.

Anthony said:
You are way out of line buddy. John NAILED it, and gave you good advice.

Bottom line. You wanted to look like a freak, that is fine, but be prepared to be treated like one.

In addition, drop the "poor me" attitude. You made the choice. Maybe you should have thought of that before going ahead with all the body "art"?
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steingar said:
I myself would label it disfigurement. Sorry, I honestly don't think you or your pals are going to put anything there better or more beautiful than what Odin did in the first place. To make your body worse is disfigurement.

I can't believe you want to cover up your beautiful auburn skin. It is a mark of your heritage. I really don't get it. Must be getting old. Get off my lawn!
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Yeah, me too. I always kinda viewed tattoos, especially on girls, as equivalent to a mustache drawn on the Mona Lisa.
I have often thought, "Why did you ruin such a fine a$$ with a tattoo?"
 
Henning said:
Yeah, me too. I always kinda viewed tattoos, especially on girls, as equivalent to a mustache drawn on the Mona Lisa.
I have often thought, "Why did you ruin such a fine a$$ with a tattoo?"
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+1.2 Million.
 
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