Hellobee Boards

I'm really bad about being on-time. I always try to leave enough time but I end up arriving 5-10 min late all the time. I feel terrible and its gotten worse since we had our LO.

It does drive me crazy when people are extremely late and don't call. If I'm going to be more than 15 min late, I always try to give the person I'm meeting a heads up.

I get pretty irritated about it when there's no good reason besides poor planning. I'm a "on time means 5 minutes early" kind of person, and have managed to remain that way with a newborn, so I don't have too much sympathy for the chronically late. But understand that sometimes things happen.
DH's family has no concept of time at all and it makes me crazy. They came to see the baby last week. Told me they'd be here at noon, so I was up at 5am cleaning and hitting the grocery store to provide lunch as well as taking care of the baby and getting a gym session in. They called at 1pm to say actually they thought maybe they'd come for dinner, and be there sometime between 4-5pm. Irritating, but fine... Back to the grocery store I went to purchase dinner for an extra 8 people. Then showed up unannounced at 2:30 and were mad that the baby was down for a nap.

I hate being late and it drives me crazy when people are really late. I can understand 5-10 min especially with kids. But if you are going to be longer a heads up would be nice. Even a quick text is good.

I hate being late...it gives me anxiety when I am running late but I totally get that things happen...especially with a LO. I feel super lucky that most of my mom friends are super punctual and always text if they're running late. It's just common courtesy to let someone know if you are more than 15 minutes late...unless it's a huge party or something...I can't imagine showing up 2 hours late to someone's house for dinner without calling or at least sending a text...bizarre!

I do have a dear childhood friend who is chronically late and I love her but she is late all the time. She knows she has a problem...she has missed flights several times from running late. I've learned to accept it but only bc she's a great friend.

I'm always early too. My mother is terrible about being late and it drives me crazy. But I also know that 9 am to her is more like 930. I just plan around her.

For some reason all this past weekend I kept running late. It was driving me crazy lol.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I think on time means 5 minutes early for most things, and can't stand to be late myself. This hasn't changed since I had a baby. I usually start getting annoyed around the 10 minute mark for anyone, and I still expect an apology. I think it is incredibly rude to assume my time isn't worth as much as yours, and that's basically what you're telling me when you're late.

That said, I would never not be friends with someone who is chronically late, but I may lie to you about the time of the event to get you to show up on time.

I try my hardest not to be late, but sometimes public transportation is involved. I call if I am going to be more than 15 minutes late.... I should also note if you don't have children and are still late with no explanation, I get very annoyed.

I'm constantly running late - never for super important things or professional matters, but every day things, yes. Usually only 5-10 minutes late though and I always send a text to say I'm running late, not to mention apologise once I arrive. I try and try and try to be on time or early but I always misjudge the amount of time something is going to take! I'm a procrastinator by nature and I think it carries over to my punctuality

I wish I was an on time person, but alas, after more than 30+ years of being late (I was even born 13 days late!), I have come to accept it as a major failing on my part. Doesn't mean I don't keep trying to improve though!

Did she call or text or say she was going to be late? If she arrived 2 hours late, I would have told her we already started dinner but she was welcome to come in and hang out while we finished. Then she can decide if she feels welcome or not.

I have one friend who is consistently late. I just deal with it. I am on time or early for everything because I cannot STAND being late.

Two hours I would be annoyed.

I hate being late but since R got here, we are more then I want to admit but it usually 15-30mins at the most. But I now just plan on leaving earlier then we need to and it helps.

Well right now I'm RAGING on hold with home depot bc they are apparently going to be 8 days late delivering my new washer/dryer… so no.

But with people? I think I have a little patience but not a ton. If someone is 5 minutes late I don't care. If they are 15 minutes late but they texted me to let me know, I might be annoyed but I generally get over it really fast (particularly if they are late getting to my house vs. late meeting me out somewhere, which is more annoying). More than 15 minutes without a good excuse is unacceptable though.

Ditto what @BananaPancakes: said. Why is their time more valuable than theirs? Why do chronically late people think that the world should just wait for them? No. Obviously if you had an ACTUAL issue I'm understanding about whatever delay there is. But if you're the sort of person who is just constantly half an hour late with no reason I'm probably not going to be your friend because I just feel like you have no respect for me.

@blackbird: You don't know anyone who is chronically late? I actually find this to be amazing. I can name 3 close relatives right off the bat. And 2 close friends. Gah!

Growing up my mom was always late for everything. I couldn't stand it. So now I am the opposite--I am always early/on time. I guess being on the receiving end of having your parent late to everything (including your games, concerts, appointments, etc) makes you very intolerant!

If it's very occasional and for a good reason, then I totally understand. But if you're ALWAYS late? No. I can't. It drives me INSANE, largely because I think it's incredibly rude. Basically, to me, it says that they think their time is way more valuable than yours.

My dad and step mother are chronically late and it is a huge issue for me - particularly now that I have a baby's schedule to factor in as well. It seems to me that people should be able to figure out how to budget their time in order to be where they need to be on time - the rest of us somehow manage.

My approach is that unless I'm attending an event with a firm start time, anything within 10 minutes of on-time is interchangeable for me.

I start to get a little impatient once the ten minute mark is crossed, but, I easily tolerate lateness up to 15 minutes. If someone is running more than 15 minutes late, I really want them to let me know before the time we were intended to meet up. If they're running that late, they've known they were running behind for a while, and it is inconsiderate not to let me know too.

I am a very hardcore "early or on time at the latestest" person but since having a baby... all of that has changed because it became very difficult to be on time. I like it when people are late. I really don't mind... I think it all depends. I remember before cell phones when there was no communication and you woukd be left time wasted and not knowing when people didn't show but phones have changed all that.

I am always 5 minutes early and 2 of my best friend are always late...and they KNOW how much I hate it. I get so mad when they are late...drive me bananas!

A few minutes one way or the other wouldn't bother me but 2 hours!! I understand that things happen but chronically late people and people who don't let you know that they are going to be late are just being plain disrespectful and are in essence saying that their time is worth more than yours.
I am also not a fan of lying to people abot the time of things so they will get there on time - people are adults and we shouldn't have to hoodwink them into acting responsibly.
That said, I wouldn't end the relationship over it, @LemonLimes advice was really good, also after 15 minutes late, just get on with your day as though she is not coming, and when she arrives you can say, "o, I figured you weren't coming as it got so late and I had other things to do"