# Is there a Covid form of "handshake rape"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 11, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368 "2020-09-11T20:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/1 "2020-09-11T20:23:29Z")
If you haven’t been around the SDMB long enough, you probably don’t even know what I’m talking about. But our very own @ZPG_Zealot (who I have not seen lately - is she still around?) claimed a few years ago that a man spontaneously trying to shake a woman’s hand was tantamount to rape. [Needless to say, that went well.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-zpg-zealot-handshake-thread-party-extravaganza/758713) Anyway, a photo of Biden and Pence elbow-bumping when they were at the same event in NY got me to thinking. I suppose it’s a vain hope, but I wish ZPG would come tell us her thoughts on elbow bumps and rape. (I’m putting this in the Pit because if anyone has comments on ZPG’s unique viewpoint, they are unlikely to be flattering.) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/2 "2020-09-11T20:24:54Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > (who I have not seen lately - is she still around?) Oh yes, she’s still around. Recounting her use of the N-word to African Americans in college who asked her out. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/3 "2020-09-11T20:29:43Z")
As the people involved were men, aka subhuman rape monsters, I doubt she’d consider it rape. After all, it’s impossible for two rapists to rape each other, because math. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/4 "2020-09-11T20:36:06Z")
OP is a timely public service reminder to people not to stick their _post_ in the crazy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/5 "2020-09-11T20:36:18Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Oh yes, she’s still around. Recounting her use of the N-word to African Americans in college who asked her out. Everything odd she says becomes really clear when you realize she’s just a huge racist. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/6 "2020-09-11T20:36:48Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > (who I have not seen lately - is she still around?) What a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/7 "2020-09-11T20:38:10Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Anyway, a photo of Biden and Pence elbow-bumping when they were at the same event in NY got me to thinking. I suppose it’s a vain hope, but I wish ZPG would come tell us her thoughts on elbow bumps and rape. Brutal physical assault. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/8 "2020-09-11T20:55:25Z")
Elbow Rape. (Band name, FTW!) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/9 "2020-09-11T21:55:41Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Oh yes, she’s still around. Recounting her use of the N-word to African Americans in college who asked her out. Please provide a link to that. I need some off-beat, off-kilter, off-reality reading material on this rainy Saturday morning. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/10 "2020-09-11T21:56:19Z")
> [@White people: your use of the N word](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-your-use-of-the-n-word/920043/232): > > Moderator Note Let’s drop the discussion of ZPG\_Zealot and get back to the original topic of this thread, please. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/11 "2020-09-11T21:58:24Z")
Thanks, much. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/12 "2020-09-11T22:42:46Z")
From that link, and I only read two of her posts, she seems to be losing the ability to form ostensibly coherent sentences – grammar, verb tense, and vocabulary all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/13 "2020-09-11T22:58:31Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > As the people involved were men, aka subhuman rape monsters, I doubt she’d consider it rape. After all, it’s impossible for two rapists to rape each other, because math. Agree with respect to Pence and Biden, but I was thinking of the case where a man offers to elbow-bump with a woman. Actually, now that I’ve looked at the white-people-using-the-n-word thread, I’ve refreshed my memory on her utter certainty that the slightest gesture from a man toward a woman is the equivalent of rape. So I guess I know the answer to the question: yes, ZPG\_Zealot would almost certainly consider a man preferring his elbow to a woman for a friendly bump as a form of rape. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/14 "2020-09-12T00:09:18Z")
And a fist bump would be tantamount to knocking her up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/15 "2020-09-12T00:09:53Z")
Fist bump = baby bump! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/16 "2020-09-12T00:14:59Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > a man preferring his elbow to a woman I just now saw this auto-correct. I meant to type “proffering” but I guess Discourse decided I meant the more common word, whatever the hell I originally typed. Serves me right for getting all fancy-like, I could have just written “offering.” But now we can wonder under what circumstances a man might prefer his elbow to a woman. (Perhaps the woman is **ZPG\_Zealot** , and she is berating him for approaching her? I’d prefer my elbow to that any day.) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/17 "2020-09-12T00:47:53Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Please provide a link to that. I need some off-beat, off-kilter, off-reality reading material on this rainy Saturday morning. It’s kind of funny, but it’s also kind of depressing to note she’s the sort of person who would have gotten Emmitt Till killed and laughed about it. She called black people a disgusting racial slur just for saying hi. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/18 "2020-09-12T01:02:32Z")
Now, if I wanted to stick strictly to the title of the thread … _(and hey, why not?)_ I’d tell the tale of my wife and I meeting with a surgeon and his assistant… everyone was masked and shielded but not gloved. As he said goodbye, he grabbed my bare hand and shook it. I was in shock, and just stared at my hand as he bustled out to his next appointment (and shake more hands). Wife, assistant and I just looked at each other… “WHAT just happened?” ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/19 "2020-09-12T01:20:01Z")
Wow. Now THAT’s what I’d call “the Covid form of handshake rape.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368/20 "2020-09-12T19:05:15Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > OP is a timely public service reminder to people not to stick their _post_ in the crazy. It’s big, but I’d hardly call it a ‘post’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-covid-form-of-handshake-rape/920368.md?page=2)