To think that if you say you will be somewhere at five....

[whatareyoueventalkingabout]

to ring at five and say you might be thinking of setting off soon deserves a punch in the face

[GertTheFlirt]

Depends if its a 5 min trip or a 5 hour one

[crazy88]

People being late = stealing my time. YANBU.

[YouStayClassySanDiego]

People who are late get right on my tits!

It's rude and says ' I don't care about you, you can wait'.

Maybe not a punch in the face , more of a poke in the eye.

[throckenholt]

what SanDiego said.

I find it intensely irritating that they don't care at all that they are wasting my time. Particularly irritating because you didn't start anything big because they would be here soon and then they weren't so you could have done something worthwhile.

[Looby12]

Yes it really winds me up. I have a friend that does this. We arrange to meet up, she says I'll come for 12:30, she lives 1hr away, she texts at about 12 to say she's on her way sometimes she's even later. So annoying.

[Fathertedfan]

Yanbu

[Looby12]

YANBU

[treaclesoda]

Can you just go home? Tell them you can't wait any longer? I hate it too, it's a way of controlling other people, showing them that they are so much less important, that their time is so much less important.

[ohnothewoodchip]

YANBU its bloody rude. I give people fifteen minutes to show up and if they're not there I go and do something without them. And if they're habitually late I either don't make plans with them or I make sure to meet them at my place or theirs, rather than a cafe or something - at least then it doesn't matter too much if they're late.

[Lambzig]

YANBU, my friend left me waiting in a soft play place for an hour and a half last week. My Kids were fine, but it wouldn't have been my top choice of somewhere to spend 95 mins by myself. Lots of excuses and texts, but it's just rude.

[whatareyoueventalkingabout]

oh I love you all. That's put a smile on my face. 45 minute trip. Five minute trip

[Financeprincess]

Punctuality is called 'the courtesy of kings' for a reason. Showing up on time is polite and respectful. I can't bear lateness, and I'm not afraid of showing it, either!

[Chloerose75]

Bloody rude, I hate this

[SometimesLonely]

I dislike the propensity to be late especially if I've prepared a carefully timed meal.

Being late is just bad mannered unless they telephone you with a valid reason. 'Running late' is not a valid reason in my book. It just means that they got up late or couldn't be bothered to get a move on or they were not brought up properly.

[Fleta]

Showing up on time as arranged is polite. Being late is exceedingly bad mannered.

Of course, there may be a situation where lateness is unavoidable but informing the people you're meeting as soon as possible with a reason is also polite.

"I'm thinking about setting off" isn't a valid lateness excuse!

[TheSmallClanger]

Definite punching offence. Rude and superior.

[redskyatnight]

This annoys me too - I have a friend that does the same. Interestingly she did say that she knew it was down to her mindset -if she was meeting someone at 5, she wouldn't consider herself late until 5 o'clock rolled around, even if she still had to get dressed, collect a parcel and make a 30 minute journey.

Whereas "on time" people generally think, I need so long to get dressed, the journey is so long and I'll allow a few minutes just in case and adjust their "start" time accordingly - hence their "being late" moment occurs much earlier and they potentially have time to do something about it!

How you change these people I don't know (still trying).

[BarbarianMum]

Oh God, my sister is like this. Convinced the journey b/w her house and mine is 2 hours door to door.

It isn't. That's why she's always an hour late.

[CyberMuddle]

DH has a tendency for this, and his family are worse. The only way I can cope is to just assume that everything will run two hours behind schedule and adjust expectations accordingly. They're so lovely and considerate in every other respect, but just seem incapable of organising themselves!

[chipshop]

This really winds me up.

My DSis was always at least an hour late, always indignant, always some excuse. Rest of our fam used to say it was just the way she was.

We had a huge barney about it in the end, few years ago. She's hardly ever late when she meets me now and if she is she is seriously apologetic. Proves she can be on time when she has to be, she'd just prefer to amble along when she wants.

She's the same as before with everyone else!

[edwardcullensotherwoman]

I'm terrible for being late - generally because things never go according to plan! I try my best and always let people know if I'm going to be late. BUT I've never understood people who don't consider that they're running late until the time they should have been somewhere - unless you have an instant teleportation device, if you have to be somewhere at 5 then you need to leave before 5!

On the other hand, I think it's equally rude to be early. If I want someone to come over at 7, I don't appreciate them turning up at 6.30 because I'm not ready. I can get a lot done in the half hour before someone comes over! And parties - being early for a party does my head in. I'm still setting up and now have your kids running around and nagging me, and I don't even have my own kids with me doing that!

[treaclesoda]

My SIL is constantly late, ruins dinners etc because she 'can't' be on time.

Yet she would think nothing of sacking an employee for persistent lateness. She also goes on holidays a lot and can always make it to her flights on time . So in other words, she can be on time when she thinks something is worth her time.

It boils my piss and it doubly boils my piss that my PIL accept her treating them that way. DH stood up to her and interestingly enough she is much more punctual with us now.

[SaucyJack]

I'm always late. I won't lie- 10/10 it's just because I can't be arsed to get dressed.

[PoirotsMoustache]

Gosh, YANBU! If you haven't left the house by the latest time you would need to in order to make it in time, then you're late. That is the latest time you should let someone know that you're running late - you definitely know you're not going to make it on time by then!