fastbolt
Member
If the guys right hand is in his pocket, offering your left hand wont answer any questions, will it? Just askin, dont know squat about this topic.
Having hold of someone's left hand still offers you the potential to pull and exert control over their balance and center of gravity, which may gain you a couple critical moments ... especially if you're the one doing the pulling and your right hand is likewise able to quickly access your pocketed or belt worn weapon, or be otherwise employed in a suitable physical (non-gun) response to a sudden threatening situation. This was something often practiced when I was a young martial artist, meaning practicing using the non-dominant hand as an initial contact point to deflect or gain momentary/initial control of an opponent's balance.
Now, if someone has their hand in their right side pocket, and that concerns you, then you can attempt to "get an answer" by offering your right hand, to see how they respond. That comes with its own inherent disadvantage, though, as now you're giving up your primary hand (if you're right-handed), although you still have the potential to gain control of their balance and center of gravity, as well as use your off-hand in any contact response that may become suddenly necessary. Unfortunately for some folks, practicing using their off-hand for serious unarmed application is sometimes about as common as shooters practicing serious application of their shooting skills with their off-hand. How serious someone may be in this regard is something only they can answer.
If someone works to have options available to them, no matter which hand they decide to offer for a handshake, then they may have options available to them for any situation that may come along. Preparation is up to the individual, and anticipating the situational context for which someone may wish to prepare themselves is also up to the individual.
Sometimes a handshake is just a handshake ... and sometimes a smile is just another way to bare your teeth.