Foursquare was originally designed as a way for people to check in and let their friends know where they were partying for the night. Over time the service has grown to encompass much more than that, with people checking in at every location they visit. Several of the badges from those early days still exist, however, and what was at the time seen as a funny joke is occasionally found to be offensive by some users.

To remove a badge from your profile, simply visit your history page and remove the checkin that earned the badge by clicking the small “x” to the left of the checkin. For instance, to remove the “I’m on a boat” badge, simply delete the boat checkin. This will remove it from your profile, but you could still earn the badge again in the future.

Update (5/4/12): The method for deleting a check-in has changed slightly. See this FAQ for more information.

Related posts:

1. Foursquare’s 2012 SXSW Badges
2. Miss Gowalla? Social Mobile Storytelling is back with Hitchery!
3. What parts of my Foursquare profile are visible to the public?