I am not one of those people. I have many tattoos and I've learned my lesson. But last week, I went into a local tattoo shop and asked for a small tattoo. The girl said $250. I looked at her in amazement for a few seconds, and then looked back down at the tattoo. She noticed my look of horror and said "OK, I'll go to $180 for that size, $150 if I make it smaller." I said, "OK, $180 that size." I went back at 6 p.m. for the tattoo (a 3-inch-high "Stewie"), which took about 40 minutes and they charged me $180.

When I got home and showed my wife, she said, "That looks smaller than the picture you printed," so I reprinted the picture and held it against the new tattoo. Sure enough, it was smaller. I should have been charged $150, as agreed earlier that afternoon.

I called the tattoo shop and they told me to check the size next time and refused to reimburse me.

Tattoos are fashionable these days and shops are taking advantage. I think a story needs to be run on the dangers of the tattoo bandwagon and how, to some people, it's all about the money.

David Atkin

Stafford