Probably older folks have negative thoughts about tattoos associating those bearing them to a rough group and years ago and in many cases was true. In todays world tattoos take on a different meaning. I believe that the quantity of tattoos, where they are placed and the subject matter could be and in many cases reveals the character of an individual. If it affects someones business for whatever reason the business owner has no choice but to make the right determination for the sake of his business.

Would you want someone wearing a swatika tattoo on his forehead on the other side of the counter selling you a hamburger? Could be Charlie Manson?

Don't judge a book by it's cover! There are many forms of discrimination, holding a person's personal art against them is one. No matter what the job is. What's next? Not giving someone a job because of a visible scar, or mole? Think before you judge.

Pardon me, we are discussing tattoos, if you weren't so judging you would read more carefully, no judgment involved. We are not talking about color of skin, scars or molds which one has no control. In many cases the cover does reveal the book. Get in the real world or at least read more carefully and stop adding your own judgment .

I think it depends on the situation... I don't think i would care at Dorney Park, but If it were my grandmother's hospice nurse I would strongly prefer that they did not sport obvious tattoos. What it really boils down to is protecting brand image- Dorney Park doesn't want to look like the travelling carnival. I don't think i would care at a gas station, or a landscaping company. As long as it can be hidden it is really irrelevant.

Sometimes it has to do with the pool of applicants an employer has to choose from. If a clean cut qualified person applies they would choose the clean cut appearance of an applicant over someone that has a face or body loaded with tattoos, nose rings or whatever. We live in the US and have the right to tattoo ones body but in reality it sometimes has a negative consequence right or wrong. You can hardly blame a jewelry store owner not wanting to hire someone full of tattoos. As Andrew stated , it also depends on the job. Unfortunately SOME young folks get tattoos and later in life realize the possible mistake they made.

By all means, get the fake Maori tribal tattoo on your face, or the meaningless Chinese characters, but accept the consequences. People have the right to put tattoos wherever they want them, but they don't have the right to control other people's reaction to them. When we grew our hair and wore jeans, we made the choice not work in insurance offices or banks. We knew our fashion choices were exclusionary, and we accepted it. If you are going to get a visible tattoo, you will not be accepted by certain employers, but you are free to become a rock star, massive online multiplayer game designer or barrista. It's your choice.

Would you hire someone who couldn't spell tattoo?

I do not believe a person should be judged by the art they have inked in their skin but by their credentials, knowledge, experience and personality. But also think that people should consider society the way it is and place their tattoo's where they can be hidden when necessary. Tattoo's are works of art, or suppposed to be, and they are placed to be shown but because of the way society continues to place judgement before actually getting to know the person, it is a good idea to get them where they can be concealed. That said, I am not saying that people should allow others to control what they want and where they want it. What I am saying is think smart. I have no problem with any inked person serving me, caring for me, rescuing me, working with me and/or any other anything for me. Ink does not disqualify intelligence or the heart. Can you say 'open minded'?

Open minded is not the issue here, when you interview someone for a job there is no way of getting to know this person before you hire them. You have no choice in this setting but make a judgment call by appearance. Again many reveal their character by the subject matter and placement of the tattoos. Your choice to wear tattoos, in the real world right or wrong you pay the consequence by your choices.

Ronald says it best. If you are going to advertise your choice, as in a tattoo, you must accept the consequences. The world doesn't revolve around you, nor have the time to get to know you. So, your clothing choices, hair style, things you buy, piercings, tattoos and first few words advertise who you are. You choose these things, so you must live with them.

Life is a series of random events, it is not fair and everybody brings their own life filters to every situation. All personal choices have consequences. Taking one path means you don't take the other.

If tattoos truly expressed an individual identity, and weren't just part of a mass fad, then those individuals who chose to get tattoos would stand by their statement of "I am an individual, damn the consequences".

Open minded is part of the issue, people are judgemental. I agree with there being no way of knowing who a person really is merely by an interview, but I also mentioned credentials, knowledge and experience. So the fact that you would have 'no choice but to go by appearance'? That leaves the door wide open for closed mindedness. Paying consequences and the world revolving around people for their likes and/or dislikes? Now that is just mean. Scenario: A Degree is a piece of paper that states someone graduated from furthering their education and with this Degree comes a person who has a tattoo or 2...So are you saying that because this qualified person who holds every ounce of description you require for a position will not get the job because he/she has ink?

And let me add....God forbid either one of you, Ronald and David, ever come in to a situation where you need the help of rescuers that have a tattoo or even worse, multiple tattoos! Will you turn them away too? You best believe they are hero's regardless of their appearance.

You misunderstand me Dana. I have spent much of my life appearing in a way that would exclude me from being your insurance agent or banker. But, unlike "cake and eat it, too" face and neck inked, elongated earlobe body modifiers, I accepted that people would make their own choice of how to view me. I was unwilling to compromise my own beliefs, but granted the same privilege to others.

Most of my friends are well inked, many pierced and won't be found in a suit. But, I don't accept it from them when they whine about people "judging" them. You don't shine a bright neon light on yourself, and then say, "Don't stare!".

As for credentials, there is another criteria when you hire someone called "judgement". One must question the judgement of someone who makes a provocative visual statement that is permanent.

And, if an inked person finds out that I won't accept their whining about people judging them, when they have, in fact, asked to be judged, by their personal choices, and then they refuse to treat me, there won't be much I can do about that, because the world is not a fair place, and people do what they do.

Now, I have in fact hired many inked people, as well. I would have no trouble staffing a software development project with all the remaining alt-goth and hip hop video people on the planet, if they could do the job. But, I am not going to send them to the bank to ask for an extension of my line of credit.

Personally I have started and run numerous retail companies retailing jewelry located in major shipping centers the last 30 years employing around 650 employees. Probably hired over 5000 people directly or indirectly over these years. Take my word from much experience personal appearance is a big factor in choosing a salesperson , what little your are allowed to ask applicants these days to try to judge before hand how this applicant would perform. Dana we live in an imperfect world and I don't see it improving anytime soon, and we all want to try to do our part to make it better, however when it comes to choosing who to hire you cannot take the risks, you will usually hire what appears to be the best applicant out of all the applicants you have to choose from. I am presently retired from the 120 plus stores selling out to a competitor saving my good employees jobs.

I find tattoos a major turn on. But there are some jobs where head, neck, and hand tattoos don't belong. It doesn't convey authority.

I was a tutor at a good elementary school, and the Principal, a Chines-American, had some Chinese characters tattooed on her neck. I thought it was disgusting, trashy, and inappropriate for the school. Of course I said nothing, but it made a lot of us resentful that she was in charge.

If you're a teacher, law enforcer, or the boss at a bank, you have to dress/behave in a way that conveys authority. When I see police officers with neck and hand tattoos, I feel like I'm looking at a silly child rather than an adult. It sends the message that they're not being serious.

The same holds true with beer guts and dirty clothes. You don't convey authority by being obese, having rotten teeth, bad breath, stains on your clothes, muck on your shoes, etc.

We have thousands of people coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan without any tattoos. Think of whom you're competing with for the job.