Temporary Cover-up of Your Tattoos

Whenever I go to a party or other social function, I inevitably end up in a conversation with somebody about a traffic ticket they received. There is such misunderstanding and misinformation about traffic tickets that I end up in a protracted explanation of traffic enforcement as a whole. There are so many myths and misconceptions out there that I thought it might be nice to put some things out for all to read. My intent is to break this up into a series. The following is the first segment.

Traffic ticket myth and fact:  PART 1

Last July, the traffic fines in the state of California went up sharply. Other states are also adopting the same sharp increases as a means of gathering “revenue” in this crummy economy. As a result, I have noticed a sharp increase in the number of people taking the matter to traffic court. With fines in the $300, $500 or even $700 range, it’s no wonder that people are trying to find any way to beat the ticket or simply have the fine reduced.

The following is a little “truth” about traffic tickets that you might not know. Please feel free to add your 2 cents. I will respond to all comments and emails.

MYTH 1 Cops enjoy giving tickets.

Most cops do not enjoy giving traffic tickets. Let me repeat this…. It’s true; most cops do not enjoy giving traffic tickets. This may be hard to believe if you have ever been on the receiving end of a citation. But it really is true. Most don’t. Most cops would prefer “catching criminals”. The traffic stop for a vehicle code violation often puts a cop in contact with an otherwise law abiding person. That person may even have a positive or favorable view of the police. They may have committed some thoughtless violation that we have all done at one time or another. It is true that infraction citations (95% of vehicle code violations are infractions) are discretionary. Meaning, an officer can issue a citation or a warning. So, why do cops issue citations? Here is some insight:

 There are basically 2 kinds of traffic tickets: We call them “Movers” and “Mechanicals”. Mechanicals are equipment violations most often associated with the vehicle itself (inoperative headlight, expired registration, loud exhaust, tinted windows, etc). These are correctable and can have no fine if fixed within a designated time frame (usually 10 to 30 days). There is sometimes a nominal paperwork processing fee associated with these ($10 to $25 depending on the jurisdiction). “Movers” are non-mechanical violations, but depending on the violation may or may not be a “point” on your driving record. There are basically 2 kinds of “Movers”: PCF violations and all others. PCF strands for Primary Collision Factor and it is the essential cause or finding for traffic crashes. Failing to yield and speed are some of the most common PCF violations.

 There is a ton of research to indicate that there is a direct correlation between an increase the volume of traffic citations and a decrease in traffic accidents. That is the ultimate goal of the officer; to decrease traffic accidents and thus increase public safety. The myth that the officer is trying to generate revenue for the city or county is false.

 MYTH 2: Cops write tickets to raise revenue for the city or county.

The Vehicle Code is state law. Traffic fines are set by the state. In California for example, the jurisdiction issuing the citation receives only a very small percentage of the fine amount (approximately 7%). The rest goes to the state. Some goes to the court system (again, a state function) and the rest to the general fund. So the idea that the cop is writing tickets to boost the city coffers is a myth. In reality, the money generated by the fine from a citation is far less than it costs to pay the cop to find, stop and cite the violator.

FACT 1: Attitude matters. Lying and defensiveness will only hurt your cause.  

When a cop makes a traffic stop, the underlying purpose or mission is to change behavior. For example if the driver is speeding, the officer is merely trying to get the driver to slow down. If the cop believes that the behavior will change, the mission is accomplished and the ticket may not be forthcoming. The purpose of a traffic ticket is to compel the driver to change the behavior. A sure way to talk your self into a ticket is to lie about the behavior. If you were doing 60 in a 45 zone don’t insist that you were doing 45 when asked by the officer.

The lies are partly just a natural defense mechanism to getting caught doing something wrong. So, we partly take into account this natural reaction and attribute it to a consciousness of guilt. But lying about your speed or the color of the traffic light or anything else for that matter also makes one of the following statements to the officer. Either that you are asserting that the officer is lying about it, or that you are so unaware of what you are doing that you truly believe you have done nothing wrong.  Neither of these bode well for you. Remember, the officer is trying to change behavior and correct a problem. If you are honest and offer some plausible reason or excuse, the officer may form the opinion that the problem has been corrected and a citation is not required. Lie and you are telling the officer that you require a fine to help motivate you to change the behavior. Cops appreciate and respect honesty. We rarely get it.

 MYTH 3: Cops are out there hammering drivers all day long.

 Most cops make very few traffic stops and write even fewer citations. Let me explain:  

Cops have a number of different assignments within the agency. Many of these assignments are in uniform and in a marked police vehicle. The average citizen seeing a police car driving down the street has no idea what the particular assignment of that cop might be. There are full-time “Traffic officers” but they are a very small percentage of the overall police force. There are also Patrol officers, DARE, Juvenile officers, Community Resource officers, School Resource officers, Gang officers, and on and on. We have a number of duties within each assignment. So only a very small amount of the overall workday of a very small fraction of the officers that you see may be involved in the enforcement of traffic violations. Most cops, unless looking for pretextual stops, (see the next installment for the meaning of a “Pretext Stop”) will only stop the most egregious violations that happen to occur right in front of them. They are otherwise working on or doing other things.    

MYTH 4: Cops have to generate a certain number of tickets (Quota).

There is absolutely no validity to the myth that cops have quotas and must issue citations to meet those numbers. In fact, quotas or any numerical “expectation” are completely illegal. The police union and the police administration act to check and balance against each other. If the police administration begins looking at the number of citations generated as a means to discipline or reward officers, the police union will call foul and make it stop.

Stay tuned for PART 2…..

In the 15 years that I have been in law enforcement, I have watched 2 friends die of cancer and several others “survive” cancer. They all had a few things notability in common. They were all in their late 30’s to early 40’s and they were all in law enforcement.

By far, the biggest cancer threat to cops is skin cancer. Police work is an outdoor job. That’s one reason why we love it. But the more exposure to the sun we experience the greater the likelihood of contracting skin diseases such as cancer.

Skin cancer is so prevalent among law enforcement officers that in most states, it is listed as a presumptive condition for Workers Compensation. In California for example, Labor Code section 3212.1 covers the cancer presumption for all public safety workers: “The cancer so developing or manifesting itself…shall be presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employment”.

(click here to view the entire Labor Code section)

This holds true for Firefighters as well. In fact, according to a report issued by the National League of Cities in April 2009, “43 states have enacted laws which allow Firefighters and EMS providers who develop certain illnesses, injuries and diseases to qualify for Worker’s Compensation and certain other benefits under the presumption that the injuries, illnesses or diseases are work-related. Cancer is one of those diseases in 24 state presumption laws. 8 other states have pending cancer presumption laws. Presumption is a concept that assumes that certain injuries, illnesses and diseases are a consequence of work and are compensable without evidence provided by the employee that the affliction is work-related”.  Meaning, if a cop, firefighter or EMS worker is diagnosed with any form of skin cancer; the presumed cause is the working environment for insurance and workers comp purposes. That is amazing when you think about it. Of all the possible forms of disease and illness out there, very, very few have this presumptive status.

When I started Tatjacket, cancer prevention was the farthest thing from my mind. The original concept was a fast and easy way for employees to cover their tattoos in order to comply with grooming and uniform policies. But an interesting byproduct of the design and function of the tattoo cover up sleeve is its ability to protest the skin from the sun.

Fairly early on, we sent the tattoo cover up sleeves to the International UV Testing Laboratories in Auburn Alabama. They were tested and found to have a UPF rating of 50. The “UPF” rating is similar to an “SPF” rating found on a bottle of sunscreen.

This means public safety workers and anybody else working primarily outdoors can have substantial UV skin protection for their arms. This protection does not come with the discomfort or inconvenience of wearing a long sleeve shirt. Consider this, in many of the hotter jurisdictions such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, many cops and public safety employees wear long sleeve shirts year round. Why would anybody wear a long sleeve uniform shirt when it is 112 degrees out? Because these employees know that protecting your arms and keeping the direct sun off of your skin actually feels better and decreases cancer risk.

Whether you have tattoos or not, Tatjacket tattoo cover up sleeves can help keep you comfortable and reduce your cancer risk from exposure to the sun.

Intresting article by  Karen L. Hudson.

Tattoos and the Economy

Is the Tattoo Industry Being Hurt by Current Economic Conditions?

By Karen L. Hudson, About.com

I hesitate to speak of our current economic situation as being anything more than a temporary slump, but the fact remains that there are a lot of people feeling a financial pinch right now. Layoffs, pay cuts, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and closings of once-strong company giants are on the rise and serve as proof that, as a whole, our nation is suffering.

And yet, there has been a recent string of news articles from varying parts of the country that describe the body art industry as holding strong despite the current economic downturn:

I found that interesting considering the fact that tattoos and piercings – although highly addictive and a great passion for many of us – would hardly be considered a “need” when faced with other financial demands.

So, I started asking around for thoughts on the situation from readers and from friends in the industry, and (fortunately!) the responses do lean more heavily on the positive side. While some tattoo shops, especially new ones, are struggling to keep their heads above water, the majority are surviving and some are even thriving.

When it comes to body modification, no matter how tight our wallets are we found that we will somehow come up with just enough money to get that new piercing or tattoo done. If it means something to us or anyone we will come up with enough money to get it done. It’s self expression and the economic times should not affect how we want to express ourselves. – Krystal

What Krystal says would sound unreasonable to someone who is experiencing true financial hardship. When your income is less than your outgoing bills, or even if you just manage to break even, then there isn’t really much you can do to “come up with enough money” if there literally isn’t anything left, which sadly happens to many people in this country.

However, the majority of working and middle class society people do have expendable income, even if it is less now than what it once was. It becomes the choice of each individual or family unit, then, to determine where that expendable income should go. We all have different priorities and make that decision based on what we hold most dear. For some it may be entertainment, travel, dining out, clothing, personal pampering or some other equally “superfluous” means of making life enjoyable. And then again, for some of us, body art is at the top of that priority list.

Only a fellow body art enthusiast can truly appreciate why we would choose getting tattooed over a fabulous new outfit, a trip to Vegas, or tickets to the biggest concert of the year. But the very thing that draws us to tattoos in the first place – their permanence – is sometimes what draws us even more when the world around us seems to be spiraling out of control.

I own a shop in Limestone County, Alabama and we have not seen any abnormal slumps in our business. If anything we are maybe a bit busier. I think, in these economic times, that people find comfort in seeing any hard earned money spent on something tangible; something they can’t lose and that will be with them for life. Tattoos offer that. Clothes, cosmetics and other retail “me” items don’t last and everything else we spend money on are just consumables – purchased and gone. – Andi

Sometimes, though, when you have a family – especially one that includes younger children – a parent has to make personal sacrifices in lieu of providing for the family. In this case, sometimes the “choice” of how to use expendable income has already been made—the kids come first, and that is the creed followed willingly by any loving parent.

My husband, two kids and I live quite comfortably in northern California. While we both have our same jobs, we have felt the sting in the stock market and 401Ks. Tattooing was the first things to go for me. I was working on a back piece that’s about 70% complete. For the last 6 months I have not tattooed because it is a wonderful expensive hobby. The fact that it is something that I do only for myself and not for the family feels greedy. So until the economy is a bit more stable I’ll have to stay “incomplete”. – Nicole

I’ve been working on a sleeve of my two children and some of the things that remind me of them. I got about 3/4 of it done and had to stop due to the economy. – Paul

Tattoos can definitely cost a lot, especially large ones, and I certainly wouldn’t want you to go somewhere unclean just to get a cheaper one. If you decide you need to avoid hat expense for a while until you’re in a better position financially, that is your decision and it doesn’t mean your any less of an enthusiast or true fan of the art. In fact, waiting until you’re able to do it right – instead of getting something ugly and cheap just for the sake of saying you got a tattoo – proves that you do have great respect for the art form and there’s nothing for you to feel guilty about!

I have found that, surprisingly, I have been doing just as many tattoos this year as the same month last year, but the average size and expense is down. I even did one to reflect the current state of economics–a sad piggy bank with money spilled out. (Photo above) – Crystal Kyle (Crystalz Tatz – Bradenton, FL)

So, what are you supposed to do when the craving for new ink keeps you awake at night? Well, maybe you can work a few extra hours at your job or eat beans and rice for the next few weeks. Maybe you could come up with enough cash to at least get something small, or perhaps even a piercing. There are also some ways you can actually cut the cost of a tattoo, which I share in my article, How to Save Money on a Tattoo.

This is the first blog for us here at Tatjacket. We hope to create a central source of interesting information and quality products for those people who love their ink but their boss doesn’t. In the short time we have been around and without any advertising, we have sold thousands of pairs of these sleeves in the US and 14 other countries.

Our customers are nurses and doctors, waiters, hotel employees, cops, firefighters, EMT’s, school employees, office workers, mechanics, delivery drivers, soldiers and airmen, amusement park employees, and on and on. We even had one customer tell us that he uses them for Sunday church services!

The following is a brief glimpse into the steady stream of very positive feedback that we get via email all the time. These are actual excerpts from actual customers all across the globe. Check these out.

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