Some of you are aware that I have a really great tattoo. I love it. It’s interesting, it’s personal, it’s artistic. In fact, it’s SO interesting that I get comments on it every day. On any given day when it’s exposed, I will get an average of four (low end 1, high end 20) people asking what it is or telling me how much they like it. I usually say thanks, cause I like it too! 🙂 Sometimes I walk around literally FEELING the eyes on my back, as people stare, trying to figure out what it is (most people think it’s LSD. HAHAHAHAHA. Far too few rings, my friends). Of course I can cover it when I want, and when I don’t really want people to talk to me, I do.
But when I do have it out and I’m walking around, I don’t mind it being looked at. What I mind are the other eyes. The eyes of the cell phone cameras pointed at my back, accompanied by soft *click*s. The tourists pointing and then aiming their digital cameras. The hipsters giggling and aiming their cell phones, saying “I am SO putting that on Facebook”.
I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was YOUR tattoo I was wearing around.
Is it so very hard to ASK someone before you PHOTOGRAPH THEM? Is it so unheard of that maybe you ask someone’s permission before pointing a camera? When people ASK to take a photo, I usually say yes. But somehow, most people don’t ask to take a photo. I catch them as I turn around and they are pulling their phones down, embarrassed to be caught. Yeah, I’ll bet you are.
So, this is just a PSA. You see a person walking around, and they look awesome for whatever reason. Say they have a cool tattoo, or interesting piercings, or cool tights, or something. And you think “I want to share this person with my friends”. Please, be courteous, and ASK if they mind having their picture taken. Odds are, we know we look cool and we don’t mind. But I, and my back, are not public property, and not asking before you click…is just rude.
