The girl with the drawn-on tattoo.

Back when I lived in Manchester, I briefly went out with a girl who I'd originally got talking to because of the big, swirly tattoo she had around the back of her neck. It was the first time I'd seen one of those black, spirally tribal tattoos which got so popular amongst clubbers in the late 1990s, and fat McDonalds-people a few years later, and so I made some comment on it. As I was quite young and impressionable I probably said it was cool, or somesuch witless statement.
"Oh, it's not real", she told me. "It's a transfer. I'll wash it off in the morning."
I leaned in to take a look and sure enough, it was just a stick-on which in low nightclub lighting looked entirely real. Still, it gave me an excuse to lean in so I took advantage. However, I remember thinking at the time what a good idea pretend tattos were over the real thing; I think I've mentioned a punk girl I sortof knew who had ripped fishnets tattoed onto her legs and how I thought it was pretty neat for all of thirty seconds until I realised just how much she'd probably be regretting it by 2010: so right about now I expect she's looking at her legs and realising she'll never wear anything but trousers to the office.

It's pretty much that reason I've never got a tattoo. Like anyone who has ever been young, extremely stupid and above all drunk I have at times thought them a good idea, but the permanancy has always put me off. To indelibly mark yourself - even if it's with a 'timeless' design like those Celtic arm rings which will say "My 18th birthday was in 1994" for the rest of your life - always struck me as something I would inevitably regret because everything changes.

But that's my opinion. Some of you lot have tattoos, some don't. It's Friday, you aren't doing any work. Tell me your reasons.