To leave friend sitting in her car outside my house as she's arrived 90 minutes early

Agree.

It's rude to show up earlier than invited. You should always assume the host said a specific time for a good reason.

I bitterly remember the time when as a young, carefree couple, we invited DH’s academic colleagues for Sunday Lunch and they bloody turned up an hour and a half early! 90 minutes; I have been there and I feel the pain.
I was in my tights with the ironing board out, FFS, using MY time to sort the week’s ironing out.
I had to put clothes on and we welcomed the nuisances in while being most polite.
They were young and still learning grown up couple etiquette, as were we.
”We came early as we didn’t know the way. We can go off for a bit if it’s too early?”
”Well you still knocked on the fucking door, didn’t you? Wanting to be let in an hour and a half early, munching into my precious time!”
I didn’t say that, and I believe none of my ire leaked from my very pores.
I am glad we didn’t fuck the nuisances off, looking back, even though I’d not argue with anyone who did.

Omg of course you let her in. Tell her you need to do your prep,
let her sit and watch TV with a cuppa while you do what you need to do.

Personally id leave her outside. I hate people arriving early. Presumably she’s inside now?

Presumably you have more than one friend?
OP didn't say its her best friend, or her only friend. It's a friend who's never been to her house before. I wouldn't want a friend I'd invited round at 6 to walk into my house at 430 and start acting like she was at her own house, that would be so annoying when I was trying to work!

I would've messaged her back and said erm we said 6pm didn't we, do you want to pop back then?

Same, I was about to put this. I can not stand super early people as it just puts you under pressure when you aren't even late!

Well you cannot be that bothered about the work if you are posting online. Is it really such a hardship to let her sit in the living room with a drink?

Very very unreasonable - she’s your friend!

Yes, she has never done the journey so wants to learn it before it is dark. The person you replied to said "doesnt want to drive in the dark".

Super early people are worse than late people imo. At least the late people are usually sorry. The super early people always act like you are somehow the one at fault. Fuck off.
If you go somewhere ridiculously early you better take responsibility for it and not assume anyone is going to accommodate you.. just like a late person would be forced to do.

I'm a nervous driver, but I think she was spectacularly rude turning up so early. If I turned up that early, I'd have parked in a nearby street - we rearranged a time for a reason, I should stick to that.

Maybe I'm a bad friend but if I earmarked that time for job interview prep, I wouldn't be wanting to let her in. It's easy to say. Just give her a TV remote and get on, but in reality it's hard to do. Bear in mind she's ready overridden your timings, it's unlikely you'd be able to crack on in peace.

So honestly, I'd pretend I hadn't seen her out there, and she can arrive at 6 as planned.

How bizarre! I would be a bit irritated but have let her in and given her the Tv remote while I got the work done. I was very cold outside today, I couldn’t leave a mate outside.

I like my friends. But if I've said 6pm I mean 6pm. Otherwise I'd have arranged 3.30pm.

Its exceptionally rude. Its not cool for friends to be rude.

I expect my friends to respect me or have a bloody good reason for ignoring what I've said.

I like my friends and don't care if they turn up early. My definition of a friend is obviously different from some on MN.

Do you not like your friend?

She was polite enough to ensure she made the place in good time, overestimated but still just said “let me know when ready” rather than just come to the door.

I’d have asked her in, put the kettle on and either asked he to help me with the interview prep or given her coffee, the tv or something to do for half an hour whilst I cribbed. I’m usually glad of a bit of extra catching up time if friends arrive early.

This would really piss me off , I find being “really” early equally as rude as being late . It’s also a little odd .

Wow. Let her in. She knows she's early. She will probably sit there and not bother you if you've got something to do.

I have a friend who did this in the past

I've told her bluntly we agreed 6pm for a reason - I have other things to do before and it wasn't convenient to be this early.

If she's a friend she should respect this.

You don't have to choose between the two. You can just make a cup of tea for her, give her the TV remote and crack on. Some of us like our friends.

Just let her in and give her the TV remote while you get sorted?

I'd have laughed and let her in. But then I like my friends.

Yep. White lies as social lubrication so she doesn’t have to choose between shaming her friend’s rude behaviour or harming her job hunting process.

Sorry, I would have said, I’m working til 6, so come by at 6 and just pretended you didn’t notice. I would absolutely not let her in.

I once had a friend drive from an hour away to see if I was home, without checking first. I was home, sick in bed on maternity leave with a baby (she had her toddler in tow). She knocked and knocked and I didn’t answer because I was in bed, trying to get the baby to sleep so I could get some rest too. So she let herself in and came upstairs to see if I was home. 🙈 I literally sent her away and back to her house an hour away. It’s rude to impose yourself on someone without checking first. You don’t know if someone needs to work or is unwell or if you’re shagging your neighbour before she turns up. 😂

My friend would come in, shout that she's here, make herself a drink, do a job if she saw any that needed doing then make herself comfy whilst she waited.
Same as I would with her.

Would never, ever make her wait outside. I love her to pieces. She'd be welcome in my house even if I wasn't there!