Mattress Stamp

Riding the light rail is the greatest!!!  I have to admit that I enjoy eavesdropping on my fellow commuters, and do so almost every time I ride the light rail.  The other day I was riding home from ASU and a man got on and sat a couple rows ahead of me.  He was on the phone and ended his call by saying, “I love you, tell the boys I love them, and I can’t wait to see them tonight.”  

I was touched.  I had immediately judged this book by its cover.  You see the man had a shaved head and was wearing baggy pants.  He had tattoos over at least 50% of his body and just looked like someone I would never want to wrong.  As I was thinking all of these things and chastising myself for my haste in judging the man, another man got on the train and sat right next to the scary looking, loving father.

This man also had a scary look about him.  He had a tattoo of the devil on his shaved head.  He wore a shirt condemning police officers, and had tattoos over most of his visible skin.  I decided that I should not judge him and waited to see if the men would begin talking to one each other. 

It started out as a simple introduction.  The scary looking, loving father turned, held out his hand, and said, “Hi I’m John. *” The “man with the devil tattoo” replied, “How is it going, I’m Michael.”  As they were shaking hands Michael apparently saw one of the tattoos that John had and informed him he had just done a similar one.  Michael then talked about his profession as a tattoo artist.  This was interesting, as he told stories of famous people he had tattooed and strange places he had inked.

I lost interest for a moment as I received a text from my beautiful wife.  When I came back I heard John say, “Man, federal prison is like a resort.  I loved my time with the feds.”  John replied, “I know man.  I didn’t feel like I was being punished.  It was more like a break from my (girlfriend.)” 

Apparently, both men have done time in the federal prison system.  They also have logged time in various different states.  John has a warrant for his arrest in California, and Michael is wanted in Pennsylvania for violating his parole. (Apparently he is not their number 1 priority as he recounted a story of being pulled over.  He was not arrested because the “system” in Pennsylvania did not want to foot the bill for his extradition.)

Anyway, John asked Michael about his time in the PA system.  He asked if he wanted to hear about his first time when he was 18, or the second time when he was 23.  John elected to hear about his second stint.  Michael told the story about being booked and walking into the cell.

“I walked into the cell and this big (man) started looking me up and down.  He asked if I had had my ‘mattress stamped’?  I told him to (back) off; that this wasn’t my first go round and I already had friends in the pen who had my back.  He told me to give him one name and he would back off.  I gave him the name of the head of my gang and he didn’t give me (crap) after that.”

Apparently this was a very funny story because John got a good chuckle out of the whole experience.  Now, I am not sure I really want to know, but I cannot find anything about having one’s “mattress stamped.”  I assume it is some sort of initiation into prison, but who knows.

Michael got off at the next stop and my entertainment went with him.  John and I got off at the same stop and, I have to say, I was more than a little intimidated.  I could not help but think that my initial judgment of the man was correct.   Then I saw a car pull up and two little boys jump out and run to him.  They were ecstatic to see him, and called out “daddy” as he wrapped them up.

I guess even though my initial judgments of John were true it did not mean he was not a loving father too.  His kids obviously adored him, and the “scary man” I saw on the light rail was not present as he was holding them in his arms.

JB

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.