David Bruce Murray
Nov 16, 2009
Rant
Wimp Wristed
A company is selling rubber wrist bands promoting the avoidance of handshaking. Their rationale is to cut the spread of the flu. You can buy them in packs of 10, 100 or 1000. SOURCE
This is yet another example of how we have become a nation of wimps.
“But the flu KILLS people…”
So do cars…but we crawl into them every day and take our chances.
The spread of germs goes a lot deeper than shaking hands, yet some will jump on the anti-handshaking bandwagon and think it’s actually doing some significant amount of good. I’ve always thought it was interesting how people tend to “flock.” What I mean is that the vast majority of them go to restaurants to eat at the same time of day. They go to the movies on the same day of the week. One gender even likes to go to the bathroom together. When I used to work in retail, it was uncanny to watch people shop in the store for a twenty to thirty minute stretch, then every one of them would come to the checkout register at the same time to form a line where no line would have been if they’d come sooner or later. It’s as if some sub-conscious cue is given.
But back to the anti-handshaking wristbands…
It’s funny how we’re quick to latch onto any excuse to be rude.
“Forgive me if I don’t shake your potentially germ infested hand. CAN’T YOU READ MY WRISTBAND?”
Yet we would never dream of doing something sensible (like staying home when we’re sick). It’s OK to throw a guilt trip on someone who offers to shake your hand when you’re wearing one of these stupid blue things, but not OK to skip a trip to the local convenience store for a Coke.
