Dear Annie: Because sometimes you just have to share

[cereta]

Dear Annie: A man who extends his hand demanding a handshake is presumptuous and arrogant. Handshaking is unsanitary and disgusting, in my opinion. Any gentleman with any intelligence should know how abhorrent it is to most ladies. Especially repulsive are workmen who have dirty hands or workers in a position of servitude. They seem to have the opinion that they are offering a gesture of friendliness rather than committing an act generally rebuffed in contempt of such poor manners.

To express my displeasure, I withdraw away from the ignoramus and will retaliate by not doing business with him. Gentlemen should know better than to extend their hand to a lady.

Please print my letter so that people who have this gross habit might understand that it is not met with the approval they seem to expect. They do themselves a grave disfavor in most instances. Being a lady, I'm a devout hater of handshakes! -- Handshake Hater

Dear Handshake Hater: Lady, the one with poor manners is you. I can't for the life of me understand why you'd show such scorn for a gesture that is meant -- even by your own acknowledgment -- to show friendliness. If you're that afraid of the germs, wash your hands more often or keep some hand sanitizer handy. Negativity poses its own health risks, by the way, so shake that attitude.

Comments

[cereta]

This...can't be real, can it? Can it? I mean, I get that not everyone likes to shake hands. I can even see someone turning worry over germs into an etiquette issue. But a gender issue? Ladies? Gentlemen? Classism you could floss your teeth with? WTF?

[wordweaverlynn]

Technically, a lady extends her hand first, but this person's objection isn't who goes first, but people have cooties.

[lunabee34]

I feel like this letter was written by the Dowager Lady Grantham (albeit before she and Isobel become reluctant BFFs; Violet cannot deny that woman has had an effect upon her regard for the help).

[moem]

Being a lady, one could surely find an elegant, ladylike pair of gloves to wear, and call the 'problem' solved. Making a fuss and assuming ones private hangups are shared by other ladies is quite unbecoming.

The answer, on the other well-washed hand, is rather elegant.

[tielan]

WTF?

Sometimes you don't have to share, Handshake Hater. No, really, you don't.

[lilysea]

Look, I don't shake hands because 1 handshake = 3-4 days of hand agony,

and this LW is giving people who CAN'T shake hands a bad name! :(

Enough with the classism, LW!

[jadelennox]

Yeah, I can't always shake, and when I can't and someone offers, I draw back my hand, waggle it in a way that I hope expresses "ouchy", and apologetically say, "I hope you don't mind, but..." Nobody has ever minded.

[xenacryst]

Unsure on the question of whether this is real or not, but I swear I've read it before. The sheer WTF value of it is itching my memory.