# Could we PLEASE eliminate shaking hands: forever??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-please-eliminate-shaking-hands-forever/849128 "2020-03-09T01:38:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 50
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-please-eliminate-shaking-hands-forever/849128/50 "2020-03-10T10:46:03Z")
I still shake hands and hug my friends who initiate it, but I’ve long avoided shaking hands with strangers. Sometimes I extend my fist, sometimes I feign ignorance to the custom. A few months ago at work I had a woman _aggressively_ stick out her hand wanting to shake. She refused to back down and my refusal to participate was just as strong. Here it is: > [@Is anyone else concerned with this new virus in China that is becoming a bigger problem every day?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-concerned-with-this-new-virus-in-china-that-is-becoming-a-bigger-problem-every-day/846841/222): > > I’ve never been into handshaking, usually offering up a fist bump to someone who wants to shake. Lately I’ve been even more anti-handshaking. Shake my hand and I’m then going to wanna wash my hands. > > So, yesterday I was already in a bad mood when a client at work _aggressively_ wanted to shake. I walk up to her while perusing some paperwork, and she _ **thrusts** _ out her hand, which I pointedly ignore. > > I begin answering the question she needed answered, all the while ignoring the hand, which she _kept rigidly extended_. Eventually she said, “you’re not going to shake my hand?” By now I was kind of pissed off, so I answered, “extra quick on the uptake, today?!” Boyhowdy, was she ever pissed off! --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-please-eliminate-shaking-hands-forever/849128)._