"How are you?" as a greeting? Is this a double standard?

[Alasaearwaxt]

I think it's rude for a complete stranger to come up and say "how are you?" as a greeting. It's not so bad if they say hello first, but I know that as a complete stranger they neither want to know, nor care about how I (or whoever they ask) am. If they say it outside of the greeting, it's at least grammatically correct, because they're not using a question as a statement. In addition to that, when people say "how are you?" as a greeting, they're usually not even thinking about what they're saying, so not only would a simple "hi" suffice, it would work better.

Now, if I see someone I know and at least somewhat like I see no problem in asking how they are, because I actually care and keep the words separate from the actual greeting. It's okay for them to ask, too, because they know me and most likely just feel like talking. I'm not normally very social and don't tolerate small talk unless I know and/or like the person enough to make an exception.

So yeah...sound like a double standard? I don't think so, but everyone I know knows me for being a little...eh...strange.

[RonJon]

I don't think it is rude to say how are you. Its kind of like a standard type greeting. You don't necessarily have to take it literally.

[bluffmike]

No. I don't think you understand what a "double standard" is.

[Ross]

I suppose it's another version of the more vintage "how do you do?". Which is, incidentally, my preferred greeting.

[Maj]

OK - For you it's now good by -