“Would you let a stranger on your flight tattoo you?”
That’s the question one tattoo artist went viral for, after posting a video showing him “inking” a complete stranger on a plane.
“So I sat down next to someone who told me they were stressed about finding a place to get tattooed on their trip,” wrote body artist Asher, who posts on TikTok as @LuckyBoyTattoos, of the encounter.
The woman next to him told him about her quest for the perfect tattoo, and he ‒ jokingly at first ‒ offered to do one for her right there on the flight.
In a TikTok video, he went on to explain that, after asking the flight attendant’s permission and sanitising the area and the woman’s arm, he’d been able to sketch out and ink the tattoo right there over the passenger’s tray table.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Asher said the woman had initially struck up a conversation with him by complimenting his own tattoos.
“She seemed a little bit stressed about being able to find a shop and getting in, so at first I jokingly brought up that I had all of my tattoo equipment with me,” he said.
“At first, it was just a casual suggestion but as we continued talking, it seemed like she was very eager and comfortable with that experience and she seemed to be looking for adventure on the trip.”
Asher said that the wireless tattoo machine he had had with him on the flight was so quiet that fellow passengers on the flight had no idea the body art session was taking place.
He added that, surprisingly, the plane seating made for a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere than an actual tattoo parlour.
“Usually when I meet my clients there is either an instant connection where we are on the same page or not,” he told a reporter.
“I felt very comfortable with her and she felt very comfortable with me after chatting for a short period of time on the plane.”
He added that even the plane turbulence had added some unique personality to the tattoo.
“I did tell her that it was not gonna be stencilled, but she was very open to the idea of the tattoo having character. We even talked about bumps and turbulence.”
He added that he had stayed in touch with his impromptu “client” and remained friends after the flight.
In the interview, Asher hit back at comments suggesting the location of the tattoo session was unsanitary.
“There’s definitely mixed reactions, a lot of people expressing how interesting and cool it was — but also a lot of people shutting down the idea and saying that it is unsanitary.
“At the end of the day, I understand it’s not the most sanitary place to be doing tattoos — but we chatted about consent, risks, understanding and trusting each other first.”
He summarised the experience by saying: “To me, getting a tattoo is such an amazing way of memorialising a mindset.
“In this case, adventure, openness, and saying hello to new experiences. It’s so powerful to take a piece of this version of yourself with you, to carry and remember.”
