The Homeless Shake

[SteelCurtain]

Depends on the person and the situation. If the guy is just dirty due to being homeless, I'd consider it awful not to shake the person's hand. It's not like he has poor hygiene because he can't be bothered.

If he clearly has open sores or poses a health risk, I wouldn't.

[vorlon13]

Is he hot ?

[Gawdzilla]

I never shake hands. I'm not rude about it and respond to the person cordially if they're well-mannered. If they're not they get The Eye and most tend to move on.

[Gawdzilla]

I learned a simple trick in Japan to avoid shaking hands if you think that's the right thing to do. Just give them a small bow. It throws them off and they start to wonder if that's my native custom. If I don't follow up either cordially or brusquely then they are left to think what they will.

[Mister Agenda]

Sure, it wouldn't occur to me not to. I've shaken hands with homeless people many times.

[Little lunch]

I like the bowing idea Gawdzilla.
It seems like a very good solution without being rude.

[brewer]

Ahem. The title sounds like poetry, yes. Sorry to dissapoint but it's rather a simple question.

If a random homeless persom approached you in public started a  conversatoon with you, reached his/her hand out and wanted to shake hands, would you shake his/her hand?

As a health care professional who wears gloves and  compulsively (and sensibly) washes his hands 75-100 times a day .... No!

As a heath care professional, yes.

[brewer]

Is he hot ?

MOM?

[Whateverist]

Is he hot ?

Gotta go with "not".  All yours, Vorly.

As to the question I expect hygiene is difficult for the homeless so I'd avoid it depending on the circumstances.  I volunteered one winter at a homeless shelter.  I wouldn't have avoided it back then.  But this thread has raised the associated health risks to my awareness that I would know better going forward.

[Aoi Magi]

With the amount of time I spend out on the road and scavenging from unhygienic roadside vendors for food, I am pretty much homeless myself, and cleanliness would probably be more harmful to me, hence I'd shake hands in a heartbeat with anybody, provided I don't feel any ulterior motives in the shake.