Community Chat

[Nataliesgramma]

It is such a pet peeve of mine....

Yesterday I met with a girlfriend that is ALWAYS late for everything. She is a lovely person and a great friend but had me waiting 40 minutes....I've known her 50 years and she says she is just so disorganized and apologizes profusely.

My brother was always late for Thanksgiving dinner until I told him "we will start eating at 4 PM....and I did whether he was there or not....

I just don't understand what is so hard about being on time....

[Peaches McPhee]

Some people just cannot be on time, unless there is a consquence.

If your friend is habitually late, I suggest telling her next time that you will only be there until 10 minutes past the appointed hour.  Then do it.  That is her consequence, and your salvation.

[CelticCrafter]

My brother was always late - he would blame his wife, she would blame him. I finally started to tell them that things were starting an hour earlier than what was planned.

My father, on the other hand, was always an hour early, so I had to use the reverse for him!

[DukeBlueNan]

@Nataliesgramma

I agree! I read once people who are habitually late want the attention. Sure gets mine and not in a positive way.

[151949]

Our best man was a person who is always late - so for our wedding we told him it was at 8AM instead of 9AM. Wouldn't you know he made the extra effort to be on time. As the whole family sat outside the empty church at 8 o'clock, his wife said "Sam, I have to tell you something". So they went out to a restaurant for breakfast.

[CalminHeart]

I see no reason to get harsh with your friend.  Some people are like that.  Is her friendship worth more than being late?   After all these years you know what she's like so plan for it.  Take a book.  Take your phone or tablet to keep busy.  

My in-laws and SIL were always 30-60 minutes late.  i started telling them the dinner/party started an hour earlier than it really was.   They were on time after that.  

[Mominohio]

It is simply rude, laziness and a really bad habit.

My SIL is late for everything, including her own wedding. 

Drives me nuts, and we simply begin our event, or leave without people who are habitually late. 

I refuse to be subjected to it. And I refuse to make a fuss about it anymore. Their loss.

[Mmsfoxxie]

I'm an on time person but my husband believes in getting there early.  Depending on the event, that gets on my nerves.  If it's a party/bbq, we are always the first ones there.  Then when we're ready to leave, everyone says, "aw, why are you leaving so early", lol.

But what I really hate is when there is a meeting, workshop or any public event and the presenter doesn't start on time, waiting for the late people!  That's punishing those that took the effort to be on time which is (here I go again) not fair.

[Starpolisher]

It's also a pet peeve of mine! It really annoys me! Dh and his entire family are always late! 42 years of this has really grated on my nerves. I just start dinner with or without them now. They don't see anything wrong with being late.They were even late for my mother in law's funeral. My daughter in law and son put an hour earlier on their wedding invitations so as not to have people coming in late for Mass. I apologized about my husband's family but apparently some of her relatives are the same!...lol

Talking about consequences...I often wished I could say "Be on time or don't bother coming." Just not worth the argument!

[mdubbs]

That drives me crazy too!

I'm always at least 15 minutes early. The latest trick around here from some doctors is to tell you your appointment is one time and then put it on their books 15 minutes later.  Which means I end up siting there half an hour before they even begin to think about me.  (Of course then they are usually way later than that.)

I've never found it hard to be a little early.  I don't understand what some people find so tough about it.  But they do - including my own brother and his wife.