Tattooed policemen.

[Pete317]

Rovinghawk said:

Pete317 said:

It's entirely your business if your opinion of someone is based on nothing more than their appearance.
However, if you discriminate against someone because of their appearance - different story altogether.

A police friend of mine once said that stereotyping based on first appearances will help you live longer.

But such decisions are usually based on other factors, like for example a violent crime has just been committed, and they're likely to be the perpetrator.

ETA: Of course, if your instincts tell you to be wary of someone then there's no harm done if your instincts turn out to be wrong.

OTOH, if your instincts tell you that there's no reason to be wary of someone then you'd better hope that your instincts turn out to be right.

Edited by Pete317 on Friday 20th November 16:21

[Pete317]

Rovinghawk said:

Pete317 said:

It's entirely your business if your opinion of someone is based on nothing more than their appearance.
However, if you discriminate against someone because of their appearance - different story altogether.

A police friend of mine once said that stereotyping based on first appearances will help you live longer.

But such decisions are usually based on other factors, like for example a violent crime has just been committed, and they're likely to be the perpetrator.

ETA: Of course, if your instincts tell you to be wary of someone then there's no harm done if your instincts turn out to be wrong.

OTOH, if your instincts tell you that there's no reason to be wary of someone then you'd better hope that your instincts turn out to be right.

Edited by Pete317 on Friday 20th November 16:23

[Red 4]

Rovinghawk said:

A police friend of mine once said that stereotyping based on first appearances will help you live longer.

Did your "police friend" stereotype you as a hater and run for the hills in case you bored him to death with all your ill-informed, ill-conceived and just plain wrong facts, ideas and opinions about the police ?

[mybrainhurts]

Red 4 said:

Rovinghawk said:

A police friend of mine once said that stereotyping based on first appearances will help you live longer.

Did your "police friend" stereotype you as a hater and run for the hills in case you bored him to death with all your ill-informed, ill-conceived and just plain wrong facts, ideas and opinions about the police ?

I might be wrong, so don't arrest me for this, but I think he was joking.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

WinstonWolf said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Devil2575 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Devil2575 said:

Would you avoid someone who you knew had been banned for accumulating 12 points?

If I was choosing between 2 people I didn't know to do a job, then all other things being equal, I'd pick the one without 12 points on their licence.

Who wouldn't?

That's not the same as avoiding. Also how many people do you meet who are equal in every way aside from something like a driving license?

OK, I would avoid if his role was as a professional driver. I do not expect policemen to be tattooed. Or bank managers or accountants or lawyers. I would look down on it. I think it shows poor judgement. I would avoid them if an alternative was available without tats. I would avoid a taxi driver with 12 points, not recruit a van driver or lorry driver with 12 points. If an alternative were available without points.

I'm struggling to see the issue with this. It's a personal choice and opinion. Others are free to not take a view on tattoos.

bigot

noun
: a person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc. : a bigoted person; especially : a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group (such as a racial or religious group)

I think a bigot is someone who dislikes other people based on things that aren't a choice (like colour, religion (as it's largely inherited) etc.

Disliking someone for making choices you consider to be poor ones is a different matter. Devil2575 thinks I'm making a poor choice in discriminating against people with tats. That's his right. If he chooses to avoid me on the forum from now on, I'll have to live with it. He is perfectly entitled to take a dim view of my stance.

[Rick101]

Well I think he's a just a bigot for disliking bigots who think facial tats are a wee bit silly.

[Rovinghawk]

mybrainhurts said:

Red 4 said:

Rovinghawk said:

A police friend of mine once said that stereotyping based on first appearances will help you live longer.

Did your "police friend" stereotype you as a hater and run for the hills in case you bored him to death with all your ill-informed, ill-conceived and just plain wrong facts, ideas and opinions about the police ?

I might be wrong, so don't arrest me for this, but I think he was joking.

mbh- No, I was perfectly serious. The context was drivers who look like they might do something stupid. It was one of those chat-down-the-pub scenarios.

Red4- No, he doesn't need to stereotype me as we've known each other sufficiently long to be well past that. You seem very hostile- you really need to calm yourself.

[BullyB]

I watched the episode that the OP is referring to and also got on Google as it just looked so out of place on a policeman.
The copper came across as a nice bloke and was passionate about his job - that is the important part.
The Police should be made up of a selection of society and in this day and age, includes people with tattoos.
Tattoos are way more common place now so we have to move with the times...

he did look a bit of a tit to be honest however and having a tattoo on your neck will always make you look a bit rough.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

BullyB said:

The Police should be made up of a selection of society and in this day and age, includes people with tattoos.

Maybe is should include people with a criminal record, people with a phobia of dogs, or the illiterate.

Just because it is a cross section of society, doesn't mean you can't have minimum qualifying standards designed to uphold a minimum standard of education, behaviour and appearance.

[Eclassy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3332315/Wo...

Braids on girls not allowed.

[irocfan]

Devil2575 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Devil2575 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Devil2575 said:

If life has taught me anything it is not to judge a book by it's cover

If you saw a book called Swedish Nurses in the Cucumber Patch, and the front cover had a picture of Swedish nurses pleasuring themselves in a cucumber patch, would you buy it for your mum for Christmas? Would you even bother to check out what it was really like by reading part of it before making a decision? Or would you judge it by its cover and look for a nice Mills & Boon?

That's a poor analogy.

Put your average footballer and rugby player in a suit. Which one looks more likely to cause trouble?

You're go to the pool on holiday and this bloke is there. Are you seriously telling me you don't look for the spot as far away from him as possible?

Please. In that specific example it is the exact nature of the tattoos that give you an insight into the person.

If I go into a shop and see a haynes manual for a Ford Focus I can be very sure as to it's contents and what information will be contained within.
You can't use that example to demonstrate that it's possible to know what a book is about based on it's cover alone.

in an ideal world you would be correct - people should not be judged on appearances. However this is the real world. Are you telling me you'd happily employ any of the clowns that do this (and there are far more extreme examples available)?














people do base initial judgements on appearance - it's human nature and it's not necessarily wrong

[Devil2575]

You've picked just about the most extreme examples you can find there. No, I wouldn't employ any of them, i'd send them for a psycological assessment. What they have done is no different to cosmetic surgery.

Comparing those examples to someone with a few tattoos is like comparing a shoplifter to a murderer or someone who goes to the gym to a muscle bound steriod monster.

[irocfan]

Devil2575 said:

You've picked just about the most extreme examples you can find there. No, I wouldn't employ any of them, i'd send them for a psycological assessment. What they have done is no different to cosmetic surgery.

Comparing those examples to someone with a few tattoos is like comparing a shoplifter to a murderer or someone who goes to the gym to a muscle bound steriod monster.

no-where near the most extreme examples lol and, yes, I am taking things to extremes. However you are still making a judgement based on appearance I'm sure I read somewhere (CBA to check)Jaguar woman is/was a lawyer so a clever person but would you want to employ her?



Now to someone as 'vanilla' as a late acquaintance a tribal tattoo is isn't actually that far removed from the above (no I'm not agreeing with her personally I've got no issues with tats - but I can appreciate that other people feel differently) and these are also people that need to be interacted with

[Devil2575]

That lady clearly has problems.

The key it to look at each individual.

For example I might not have a problem employing someone with a criminal record, but that is of course conditional on what they have done and the circumstances under which they would be empoyed.

I have no problem with tattos in general, I have them in fact. But I would take issue with someone who has chosen to do the above. Not because I think that they are undesirable, but because I think they are likely to have significant issues.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Devil2575 said:

Not because I think that they are undesirable, but because I think they are likely to have significant issues.

A reasonable stance, but one you have taken purely on the basis of their appearance, which is kind of what you were arguing against.

You get to choose where you draw the line between significant issues and reasonable tattoos. I get to choose where I draw the line.

My line happens to be that anyone who has a tattoo in a visible place when wearing normal clothing (hands, neck, face) has significant issues. Significant issues in respect of making good choices.

[Pete317]

Devil2575 said:

But I would take issue with someone who has chosen to do the above. Not because I think that they are undesirable, but because I think they are likely to have significant issues.

Perhaps not issues as such, but I would think that someone like that would spend far too much time thinking about their appearance and the like, when I, as a hirer, would prefer them to be thinking about their work.

[Ilovetwiglets]

Here's a weird one, this chap (I think his name was Rob) used to work at the same company as me as a driver in Manchester. I didn't know him personally but he used to be a lawyer, got into tattoos and jacked it in to become a lorry driver. Perfectly sane by all accounts just loved tattoos!

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Ilovetwiglets said:

Perfectly sane by all accounts

If so, how do you explain the Leeds Utd tattoo?