Dear Queenie,
Why do people always squeeze so hard when they shake hands? I have arthritis and it hurts like hell when someone clamps down on my hand.
Queenie, tell your readers to be more thoughtful!—Hurting hands
Dear Hurting hands,
People, especially men, tend to grip firmly when shaking hands because they don’t want to seem insincere or (in the case of a man) sissified. Also, when two men are shaking hands, sometimes it becomes a sort of gripping contest, especially if one of them is a very competitive type of person.
When hand-shaking time comes you can either ask the other person to go easy on you because of your arthritis, or avoid the handshake entirely, touch him/her on the arm and explain that you can’t shake hands at all because of your arthritis.
And men, please take note: It is never polite to crush a lady’s hand. Some women may not mind, but many do. It is best to be as gentle as possible and follow the woman’s lead as far as pressure is concerned.
