h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

in order not to derail the PH thread. What is the significance of tied together trainers thrown over a telegraph wire? And do you have a link to a website with information about this kind of thing like gang tattoos?

Allegedly the tied-together trainers mean that hard drugs are available in the area, but apart from a few cases of the media frothing at the mouth about the degradation of inner cities there is no evidence to support this. It's entirely possible that it *does* happen, but certainly isn't as widespread as some think (I've overheard a couple of times people saying some variant of "I saw some trainers slung over the telegraph wires near me, that means drug dealers have moved in")

Snopes has collected the various theories about it...
http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.asp

The knowledge about tattoos I've just picked up here and there... though I don't yet have any myself I'm very interested in tattoos and their traditions.

oh thanks for that, it had me intrigued. Is it too intrusive to ask where you are?

I'll check out snopes - I never remember to look there unless someone reminds me

As for tattoos. I'm never sure how much about them I've mentioned here. I have one on my upper left arm and one on my right shoulder. Both are related to the place I was born: left arm = Yorkshire rose, right shoulder the owl from the Sheffield Wednesday logo. I thought long and hard about what to have and I have never felt the need to hide them or cover them up apart from the time my boss saw them for the first time (I work for a very conservative company) and a couple of times in summer when I've been wearing a strappy top in the area of Sheffield United's ground (not that I'm there very often)

Not at all! I live in Swindon... lucky me!

I have two tattoos I definitely want at some point: the Prydonian seal from Doctor Who and the schematic diagram for the 6L6 thermionic valve. Bit odd and a very geeky but both represent things that have helped in some way shape who I am today whilst (sci-fi and music). I have a few other ideas, but nothing definite.

*Tries to shoo away the rogue 'whilst'.*

Don't make eye contact with it... it might go away on its own...

*ignores the whilst*

I like the idea of those two, definitely personal and I wouldn't expect to see 42 of them walking down the highstreet on a Saturday night in a miniskirt and heels and not much more...

Exactly, although I've been warned that I will get fed up with explaining what they are.