# An odd tattoo I saw today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845 "2013-01-02T17:22:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![saratagami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@saratagami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saratagami)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/61 "2013-01-04T03:25:22Z")
Maybe that’s what he thought would catch one’s eye…like what happened to you 😉 hehe ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/62 "2013-01-04T03:37:13Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > The barcode thing was supposedly pretty ‘hip’, not too long ago. Though the fun is sort of out of it given how some (very stupid and disgusting) [people](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/25/bar-code-pimps-prostitute-tattoos-spain_n_1378270.html) use it:(. Perhaps that’s bit of trivia gave Law & Order: S.V.U. the idea for this episode. [Acceptable loss - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptable_Loss) **Q** , I always enjoy your anecdotes about your work. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/63 "2013-01-07T23:19:39Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Possibly, but that tattoo idea has been around for a long time. I remember coming up with it with some friends in junior high, when we were convinced it was the Coolest. Tattoo idea. Ever. I think in the novelization of “Aliens” the marines (or maybe Bishop?) are described as having barcodes on the back of their necks. That’s mid-80s there. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/64 "2013-01-08T15:33:42Z")
C of E Bishops have their diocese tattooed on the back o’ the neck. That was in the 70s, before the ubiquity of barcodes. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/65 "2013-01-08T19:43:00Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > I have a tattoo of a flaming toaster on my calf. It’s an old-school chrome toaster with a couple of pieces of burnt toast flying out of it, and the old rounded electrical plug has some glowing/lightning bolt type stuff shooting out, and there are big hot-rod style flames coming off the whole thing. [This](http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/0/07/After_dark_flying_toasters.png) is what I pictured. Anyhow, I know a few hard-core geocachers who have tattoos featuring a tracking number that can be logged on the geocaching website. [This](http://img.geocaching.com/track/display/abc6e7ee-88c5-4c4b-a580-45d5d1c659e9.jpg) is one example. Search for ‘trackable tattoo’ for others. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/66 "2013-01-10T00:06:11Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It’s been a long time since a tattoo really startled me. Tats of disemboweled children, gaping vaginas, anuses expelling stool, meh. All par for the course. Some stand out in my mind as curiosities, but I no longer spend much time pondering “what were they thinking??” Please “write” a paper about it for some medical and/or criminology journal, with loads of pics. If you can’t come up with a spurious justification for the paper, take the pics and send them to me and I’ll make something up. I’m thinking “tatoos in prison - implications for the treating doctor”. That’s how to do science! Edit: This is why this forum really needs to have a facility to display images. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/67 "2013-01-10T00:09:32Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Please “write” a paper about it for some medical and/or criminology journal, with loads of pics. If you can’t come up with a spurious justification for the paper, take the pics and send them to me and I’ll make something up. I’m thinking “tatoos in prison - implications for the treating doctor”. > > That’s how to do science! > > Edit: This is why this forum really needs to have a facility to display images. If you can’t find those sorts of images on your own with the whole 'net at your disposal, you’re just not trying. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/68 "2013-01-10T00:37:47Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I met a girl who had a toaster branded on her calf. Toasters are cool. Fezzes are cool. Bow ties are cool. Toasters aren’t cool until the Doctor says they’re cool. StG ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845/69 "2013-01-10T05:05:22Z")
Back when I was in college I remember standing in line at the grocery store one day behind this tough looking, muscley guy. It took me a moment to notice the tattoo on his bicep. There, smiling happily in his bathtub, pink as can be, was Mr. Bubble. To this day I wish I’d asked what the story was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-odd-tattoo-i-saw-today/645845.md?page=3)