I completed your survey, but since I am the only one in my family with a tattoo, there wasn’t much to answer. I’m kind of curious why the questions about age and regret were directed only at family members and not the person taking the survey.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are lots of people out there that will think that by getting any tattoos you are just another jackass with money to burn and following the crowd, it doesn’t really matter what it is. So, do yourself a favor and get what you want and stop worrying about what other people will think.

People that know tattoos will recognize the Koi for what it is and what it represents. But as I have found out, the average person walking the street has no idea what a Koi is and see it simply as a fish. I have been asked on multiple occasions if I was a fisherman since I got my Koi. I have educated quite a few people about the legend and meaning behind the Koi.

Check out Darren Rosa at Rising Dragon.
http://www.risingdragon.com/artist.php?artist=darren

I don’t really think it can be summarized in that way.

I work for a very large corporation (400,000+ employees) and they don’t seem to have any issue with tattoos. My office has a few hundred people and there are probably a dozen with visible tattoos.

And then there are other people in this thread talking about small grocery stores that have policies against visible ink.

I think a more accurate summary would be that some places accept tattoos and others discourage them. I don’t think it can be made any more specific than that. Unless the company has an official policy, you will most likely find differences from one manager to another, or between departments within the same company. In most cases it probably comes down to the individual you are dealing with in the company. If they have tattoos, or someone they know does, it will have a huge impact on their policy.

That is a beautiful piece! The detail and realism are amazing.

I know it’s too late now, but I have to ask this question. Was there a stencil made, or was this piece sketched with a marker on your skin before the actual tattoo process started? If so, a lot of these issues could have been avoided by voicing your concern much earlier in the process. Even the simplest of tattoos should be drawn first. You shouldn’t let a needle touch your skin until after the design and placement are acceptable to you.