ANZAC Day Shenannigans with Bonus Question (for those with tattoos).

[MoonCat]

It sounds like the girlfriend wasn't really into his tattoos much, so you sharing the like of ink when she didn't gave you an 'intimacy' with her boyfriend she didn't. Cue Green Eyed Monster. Her problem, not yours.

We have a winner.

Well, to be fair, everyone else who said it was jealousy seems spot-on, too. That's how I took it. No, you didn't do anything wrong.

[Seshat]

Bast is always happy to share the info about her tattoos (well, except when she's having a totally bad day, but then anything at all is off limits!)

I think you were fine.

[Erinesque]

I've thought about getting tattoos, my dad had two of them, and my husband has several, but for me, I know that I love lions, like my dad had, and that he was a Leo, and his name was Richard (the Lionhearted), but I also like Egyptian symbols, such as the Eye of Horus and the Ankh, but I know how I am; I like to be able to change my look, and I would probably get tired of the tattoo after a while and want to change it! So, I just admire everyone else's, and maybe, one day, might draw for a tattoo artist. That'd be cool.

[Latekin]

Man, good to know that I wasn't accidentally being a dick. It's not always easy for me to tell.

I just find it weird that someone could be so...weirdly possessive of their partner, or find the people around them so untrustworthy. I mean, seriously? I'm at work, working, tell me how I'm gonna find the time to steal your man in between answering stupid questions. I'm pretty damn average looking, I can't just snap my fingers and have the be-tattoo'd person of my choice fall into my arms. Jeez.

Besides which, I have Dane. I don't want anyone else.

[magician5]

The girlfriend was jealous

[notalwaysright]

I just find it weird that someone could be so...weirdly possessive of their partner, or find the people around them so untrustworthy.

Yeah, people are super jealous and weird. Once, a Halloween a long time ago, a guy and girl come up with fabric. It was fabric for his costume, and he was telling me about it. Very normal, nothing odd. The girl fiddles with her phone, and his made an alert sound, and after he looked at his phone, he stops talking to me. When I asked if they (I looked at both of them, not just him) had anything else, she said no! I told myself I was crazy, it was just coincidence. But I really think she texted him to tell him to stop talking to me. In that case I know I didn't do anything wrong, and I don't think you did either.

[wolfie]

it's more often than not an excuse amongst the bogans to drink yourself stupidstupider and get slightlyextremely racist in the name of patriotism.

Fixed that for you - after all, these ARE bogans you were talking about.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

I've got extensive* tattoos that are mostly covered, but when they're visible I'm more than happy to talk about them.

Sounds to me like the girlfriend is just a tad insecure...

*Biggest single one is 3/4 back, back of neck, one upper arm and down onto my upper chest. It's never fully visible (Froglet is a short chubby middle aged gal, I don't do bare!) but bits show occasionally.

[SilverOrb]

If I didn't want people commenting on my tattoo, I would have it where no one could see it. It's like putting a painting in your living room and getting pissed when someone admires it.

Methinks she was just a jealous bitch with issues.

[Aria]

Sounds to me like someone was jealous. And speaking as someone with a tattoo on my arm, highly visible, I don't mind people asking about it. Dang, I want to get more but I can't afford it...

[paxillated]

SilverOrb said this (with which I completely agree):

If I didn't want people commenting on my tattoo, I would have it where no one could see it. It's like putting a painting in your living room and getting pissed when someone admires it.

Yet, a few posters to an etiquette website (which I love almost as much as this one) had tatts, and insisted that, as they were on their bodies, it was just as rude to comment on them as it would be if we commented on any other part of their bodies.

My reaction to that is, "Why didn't you just have them put on paper, and frame it and have it on your wall?" They responded that it was their right to get inked, and blargle blargle. Sheesh, if it can be seen in public, it may draw comments, just like clothing, hairstyles, etc.

Besides, it is Art. That makes it, in a sense, public. And I suspect that the best tattoo artists get business through word of mouth, just like the conversation in the OP.

No, I don't have any ink on myself, barring a dot on one of my hands where I managed to stab myself with a technical pen. I've certainly seen some gorgeous ones, though, and said so.

[Latekin]

Weirds me slightly too, since we actually do compliment people for having good hair, or interesting nails, or even the clothes they wear. Hell, I live in Australia, we regularly compliment each other on getting a good tan or commiserate the fact we/they got burned to hell and back and are peeling like an over-ripe banana.

Here in my state, tattoo artists really do rely do word of mouth, since we have so few good ones. I really want to get a tattoo in the near future, but with a lack of artists going on it's getting difficult. I don't want to get a tattoo I'm gonna hate in a couple of years time.

[RayvenQ]

PRetty much you have to be an absoloute arse to take offence at someone complimenting your tattoos (and since they were his, not hers, yeah she's an ass)

Asking about the meaning of them? Yeah that can vary person to person, some people like to share, other people don't like to share because the tattoo is very personal to them, or they're sick of explaining. But complimenting and talking about Tattoos? Entirely fine, as long as the person on the other side is fine with it.

tl;dr, she was a bitch and you did nothing wrong whatsoever, liek I said, they were his tattoos, not hers, so what the hell does she have to get pissy about? I mean sure, if the tattooee doesn't seem comfortable talking about them, by all means stop, but from the way you said you talked, it seems like he had no problem talking about them.