Late people. I hate it!!!

[Ccann]

Oh, goodness- just forget I said anything. I didn't make up the saying...

I say it all the time, especially for sports... When practice starts at 2:00pm I want you to start running at 2:00pm not pulling up in the parking lot... I get the saying and use it all the time.....

I am always early especially when I have control over the situation. (Only time I don't is if we have to be somewhere as a family, me and the kids are ready but DH isn't) but with that said if I am invited to a baby shower etc, unless I am super close with this person I do not ring the door bell 15 minutes early I will wait out in the car and work on something there for a few minutes and wait for someone else to show up or 1 or 2 minutes before said party time.

There's alway exceptions to the rule... And a party at someone's house is one of those. I get busy and hectic I have one of those. But I am also considerate of peoples time, I would like to think everyone is as busy and hectic as me,

I think the old saying is perfect for
Sports
Classes (I had a college professor who would lock the door right on time, if you weren't in the class you were locked out and left out if it was a test day you got a zero)
Interviews
Business meetings
Concerts, you don't show up right on time or late expecting to find a good parking spot.

I am sure for those who haven't heard that saying "5 minutes early on time, on time your.....etc, you must have heard "you snooze you loose" same concept, "early bird catches the worm"

 

[MIGrandma]

I am an early person too. I'd rather be early, and sit in my car and wait a few minutes, rather than be even a tiny bit late.

We used to have some friends who were habitually late. In fact, they set the clocks in their house 15-minutes fast so they would be "on time" more often.

I always hated waiting for them when we were going to a movie together. I like to get there early, before the previews start so I have time to get popcorn, choose a good seat, maybe use the restroom before the show starts, etc. But when we went with them we were always walking into a dark theater after the previews had already begun, and then trying to find seats together. Ugh!

 

[Ginny Favers]

It irks me to no end when parents consistently show up 15 minutes late for DD3's ballet class. It's a 30 MINUTE CLASS! The poor kids barely have time to do one plie and then it's time to leave. What's the point?

 

[kaligal]

Oh, goodness- just forget I said anything. I didn't make up the saying...

I never heard the whole thing, but I've heard the, "If you're on time, you're late" part.

Showing up on time generally means people aren't ready for a few more minutes. You need to be a few minutes ready to go, so if you want to be on time, you need to be early.

Showing up at the appointed time, on the dot, is rarely the best way to go.

WORSE than showing up late is showing up late and making people waste more time listening to your excuses about why you're late. We know why. You're late because you aren't responsible. Stop wasting our time and patience by telling your dumb stories.

And stop thinking everyone else thinks that it is harder for you to be on time than it is for everyone else. It isn't. We don't.

Also, stop thinking that you're so special that everyone else should wait for you and do it happily. You aren't. We won't.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Totally agree with you. I hate chronically late people. HATE IT! My friends know this. One time my friend left me waiting for more than 20-30 minutes, so I left without letting them know. she shows up wondering where I am. She calls me, and I tell her "sorry but I just assumed you stiffed me since you had me waiting 20-30 min, so I left". No i did not turn back to meet her. She learned since then and hasnt been late since. LOL!

 

[goofyintoronto]

People who routinely show up late are self-centered and rude.

But people who continue to put up with these flakes have only themselves to blame. If you allow yourselves to be treated poorly, it eventually becomes your fault.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you are on time, you are on time. If you are late, you are making excuses.

 

[wvjules]

I'm sorry but if I'm on time I'm ON TIME, not late.

And to the person that plans on being atleast 15 minutes early for a job interview...don't. 5 minutes early is opitmal. You can get there early, just stay in your car and not go to the interview place until 5 minutes before it's time to be there. It's the same as house and party guests that show up too early...they feel like they need to rearrange their schedule to accomodate you since you are early and could possibly have a negative impact on the interview.

 

[design_mom]

I'm sorry but if I'm on time I'm ON TIME, not late.

If you're ready to begin the appointed activity at the designated time, then I agree with you. If you're "on time" because you pulled into the parking lot at the designated time, but you've still got to unload your three kids, put soccer cleats on one of them, find a water fountain so you can fill your kid's water bottle, etc. then you're late. I am pretty sure those are the scenarios where "if you're on time, you're late" comes into play.

I think most of us are pretty accommodating for a rare "unforeseen incident" as long as the latecomer is apologetic and does his/her best to minimize the inconvenience to others (calling, etc.)

However, habitual latecomers are very frustrating. And they always have an excuse that seems entirely valid *to them*. Traffic took longer than expected, super busy day, etc. And occasionally one of those things might truly be valid and unforeseen... but most of the time it's either poor time management or a lack of concern that you're leaving others waiting.

SIL often calls to say she's running late 10-15 minutes after we were supposed to meet... and they're still at home, which makes them 45-60 minutes later than the agreed upon time. Even if there are extenuating circumstances, and in her mind, there always are (but mostly it's time management), there's no way she didn't know 30 minutes PRIOR to the appointed time that she was going to be late. Yet she waited to let everyone know till later because she just doesn't care that you're waiting. She's worth it (she thinks), and she hates waiting on others so, in her mind, it's better that you're already there so we can all be ready to go as soon as she's available.

To be fair, my DH is also like that by nature, but he's managed to "fix it." Several times when we were dating, he was over an hour late picking me up for a date. He always claimed "traffic" but a traffic snafu that large would have made the news. About the third time it happened, I said "You promised me dinner. I was hungry, so when you didn't show up, I ate. Good night." I was truly ready to walk away from the relationship at that point because of what I perceived as a lack of respect. He's *never* been more than 5 minutes late for me (without calling) since then and he's only late due to a true unforeseen issue. He *can* do it, if it's important to him. He is *much* better than that now, but I am still the one shooing us out the door while he thinks he has time to finish one more project (or video game race, or to the next commercial break, etc.)

 

[pacrosby]

And stop thinking everyone else thinks that it is harder for you to be on time than it is for everyone else. It isn't. We don't.

Also, stop thinking that you're so special that everyone else should wait for you and do it happily. You aren't. We won't.

Hey, but maybe those things aren't true. Maybe what's really true is that they don't think you are all that important. Maybe they are trying to tell you something. Maybe you'd do them a favor if you stopped trying to make plans with them.

Just maybe


Obviously there are some people on this thread who have people in their lives who can't get it together and don't care and for them the annoyance is valid. But it's also kind of obvious to me that there are some who are just as guilty of believing that the world revolves around them as those who are late.

 

[MomofKatie]

Relevant to this thread, interesting article today: http://t.money.msn.com/now/company-fines-workers-dollar10-for-each-late-minute

 

[Becky2005]

Relevant to this thread, interesting article today: http://t.money.msn.com/now/company-fines-workers-dollar10-for-each-late-minute

So...do they give you $10 for each minute you show up early? I have a hunch that might motivate people even more.

I already know the answer to that would be no.

 

[jetskigrl]

You're contradicting yourself. Either you're 10 minutes early, and thus "on time", according to your "old saying", or you're right on time according to the clock, which is late, according to the "old saying".

Which is why this is a stupid expression. I'm so glad I never heard of it before, and don't believe it's true. Why can't "on time" just be called "on time"?

I heard the saying many times while growing up. It isn't meant to be taken literally. It means you should be prepared. I agree with the PP that used sporting events or classes as examples. If a class starts at 5:00, leave as if you want to arrive 10 minutes early. That will ensure you are there and in your seat ready (notepaper, pencil out, computer open, etc) for class when it is supposed to start at 5:00. If you leave assuming you will arrive at 5:00, then by the time you get settled, you are in fact "late."

Bottom line, it is an expression meaning to give yourself a little extra time if you have a specific start time. For an informal party as a friend's home, the expression doesn't really apply. But when meeting friends for dinner at a set time (maybe you need to locate the restuarant or find parking, etc) or attending class/sports practice, then the saying does apply.

 

[kamik86]

For the main discussion I am generally early However there are some times/places where people do have to wait for me.

Big example my DH and I have one car. We could afford another one but he doesn't like to drive anyway and rather spend the money on other things. So if I end up with a late meeting at work he is waiting for me. I'm not going to always say I can't because he is waiting.

Small example of the stuff happens. I was late for a customer meeting a few weeks ago becasue it was in the Seattle area and there was an ice storm. No problem I left early. However I forgot one thing... Rental cars don't come with ice scrappers. So it took a while for the car to warm up enough to melt the ice on the windshield.

So...do they give you $10 for each minute you show up early? I have a hunch that might motivate people even more.

I already know the answer to that would be no.

If my company did this one I would be LESS productive. Becasue I would be putting a 15 min buffer on either side of any meetings I had for things I needed to do. So I wouldn't be late but I would be able to have less meetings. currently in my job I can have meetings for 6 hours straight. Sometimes with them double booked and having to choose which ones I really have to show up to.