I hate to shake hands because I am a germaphobe. In a business setting, I will shake hands if it is absolutely necessary but panic until I can wash my hands. Otherwise, I will conveniently have something in my right hand to avoid it.
My husband and my dad both know handshake etiquette. In my adult life I have noticed that 99% of men do not know this rule. When meeting a woman, the man waits for her to extend her hand. It is up to her if she wants to shake hands.
Obama is clearly oblivious to this rule. When he met the Queen of England he offered his hand first breaking the handshake etiquette rule. Then pulled a second no-no and cupped her hand with his left while shaking her hand. Doesn’t everyone know that you do not touch the Queen?
He should have done a lot more research before he embarrassed the entire country on his first international trip. I guess we are lucky that she didn’t get a high five or his infamous fist bump.
3 Responses
Smee says...
I gotta say, I actually didn’t know this was expected. I am now guiltily review all my past handshakes with women, to try to remember if I may have made someone uncomfortable. Personally, I wish there was a universal custom of greeting each other without physical contact, and that everybody felt like I do, and we would all volunteer for gene therapy to stop all growth of body hair.
But I’m nuts, and I know it.
In any case, I am still not used to the double kiss that is expected, when greeting the opposite gender, here in Spain, and I came over more than 2 years ago.
bc says...
This is ridiculous. Don’t hate on Obama simply because .. he shook hands incorrectly. Get over yourself.
Michelle says...
Ah, nothing like a mindless, anonymous, post!
Seriously, you have to be joking! B. Hussein Obama is supposed to be representing the United States not shaming us. And every little thing he does is open to criticism, just like when Bush was in office. As an ambassador to the U.S. he should have been savvy enough to do just a little bit of research or even ask his kids about etiquette. Even kids know you don’t touch the Queen. And only a muslim or a moron would bow at the waist to a Saudi King and not to the Queen.
Surely, you don’t think that is the ONLY reason I am ‘hating on obabma’!! obama and his entire administration are a bloggers wet dream. With all the gaffe’s, he will keep us blogging for the next 1378 days, 20 hours and 17 minutes that screw up is in office.
Atlanta, get over yourself and realize that B. Hussein Obama is an Obama-nation to our entire country.
What an idiot.