To want things to start on time??!!!

[Gifgirl]

Second time I've been to the theatre in the past two weeks. The last show started 8 minutes late and I'm currently sat here now waiting for this show to start which should have been 7.30 - it's now 7.34 and no sign of the show starting. My phone was off but I've switched it back on out of boredom.

None of my meetings have started on time this week due to people being late and my church services habitually start late due to people not coming on time.

Am I the arsehole for wanting people to arrive places ON BLOODY TIME???!!!!

It's rude, innit?!

It's now 7.37. Still no sign of the show starting and no word to the audience to explain why we are late starting. I've paid £21 for this ticket. I can't afford £21. People can at least be professional and start on time.

Rant over.

Too bloody right it’s rude.

My time matters too!

Oh well, never mind

I can tell which side of the coin you are on, then 🤣

I don’t like it when shows etc start late. I’ve got an anxiety about going to the toilet at the last possible minute before these things start, so I like to know when that last minute is!

I can't say I'd get worked up about the examples you've given!

If you can’t afford a £21 ticket why did you buy a £22 ticket. The mind boggles.

What?

I agree that work meetings should start on time. For the theatre and social things, though, I don't view the start time as an exact one, it's approximate, ten minutes later is fine.

I agree.
I also get annoyed at the theatre when people are still coming in at the time the show us due to start.
Customers too. My customers get a specific time slot. If they are late then they have missed their slot unless I have a free appointment after them ( very unlikely).
I have to say it is overwhelmingly the younger generation who rock up late, make some excuse and then get all annoyed when the receptionists points out they have missed their appointment.

Winds me up to no end. My Mum raised us to arrive early to everything so I’m very conscious of good time keeping and try my absolute best not to be late, being late really stresses me out. DH is always late to everything and it drives me nuts, definitely my least favourite thing about him.

It's only 4 minutes in your OP. I wouldn't get worked up about that. It's not half an hour.

I don't get how your church services get delayed - do you mean the priest comes in late? How can it be held up for late congregants since it won't be known if they're coming or not?

I run a kids martial arts club. Lessons start at 7pm, we open the doors at 6.45pm for signing in. Often still have half the class waltzing in at 7.05pm. Drives me mad..

Why did you buy the ticket if you can't afford it?

Wow I like time keeping but you are easily stressed!

I would imagine that the bad weather has delayed people arriving and the theatre is monitoring how many people are still to arrive and delaying the start so that they don’t miss it, and so that they don’t have to be interrupted by latecomers opening the doors. I’m sure the performers and crew are frustrated about starting too, but needs must sometimes.

If you can't afford the ticket, going to the theatre certainly seems to be in the 'things I can cut back on to save money' category.

5-10 minutes at the theatre - I'd rather that than having people shuffle in throughout the first act because the theatre couldn't get them through by the start.

Paid for training webinar this morning that started half an hour late - hacked off, I had to miss the end.

You're not stood outside are you. So it's started!

You got bored in the 4 minutes between 7.30 and 7.34? Bored enough to turn your phone back on? I’m not sure you’re cut out for social time.
I generally like punctuality. If I’ve directed something, it’s baron down at 7.30 unless something prevents it. Things sometimes do. That’s what happens in social situations when people are involved.

Back in the summer, for DH's birthday, I had planned a few things, all of which were time sensitive.
We were getting an earlier bus than we needed to just to allow for delays. No less than 3 buses all turned up full, so by the time we got to London we were already in a rush for the first thing I had arranged.
I had booked fast-track and we got in the queue just in time. We were then made to wait in the queue for 40 minutes past our time slot until we got let in. This meant that we had to miss part of the attraction to start making our way for our lunch reservation.
We got to our lunch reservation bang on time and were asked to wait, at the bar, whilst the table was prepared. 20 minutes later we were still sitting there, so I went and pointed out that we were still waiting. Another 10 mins and we finally got our table!
If I had turned up late to either of these places, I would have been turned away, having missed my slot, so how come they couldn't afford me the same courtesy and stick to the timings I had specifically booked!
Very bloody annoying!!

Yanbu

I am good at time keeping and always keep to time so find it quite stressful when others don’t.

Also with things like theatre shows if you have to get train home afterwards, which I would be, each minute overrun can mean missing the train.

I wouldn’t be too worried about 10 minutes late but I did go to a show once that started 2 hours late. I couldn’t even get a refund either as it wasn’t booked under my name. We didn’t have anything planned for after, but it doesn’t matter. Who wants to be stuck waiting for that long? They didn’t even apologise either.

I’ve just started to expect it in advance these days so it winds me up less.

Although I went for a smear test today and that happened at 4pm on the dot, just as booked. I was gobsmacked. Bloody typical that that’s the one thing that’d happen on sodding time.

I hate things being late - I was brought up that "Early is on time; on time is late and late is worse than not showing up at all" and it is something o have never been able to shake off.

Having said that, things like shows I will give a small window of being late to start without making an announcement as there could be any number of reasons why things are late running eg technical issues or a wardrobe malfunction right as the beginners are getting into position etc.

Additionally if there are still lots of people arriving at the show start time due to delays eg getting into the auditorium for some reason (I once was stuck behind two little old ladies who walked at about 2 meters per hour arm in arm down the main aisle of the theatre so nobody could get past them and it caused a huge tailback of people stuck waiting behind them as there was no other way to get to my central aisle seat without walking all the way round the auditorium to the other end of the row and then require 30+ people to stand and let me pass along the entire length of the row) or if weather had created issues with local transport etc as I would much rather the show start 10 minutes late but almost everyone be in their seat than start on time and be disturbed by latecomers.

Anything over about 10 mins I would expect the FOH manager to make an announcement to say why there was a delay and/or how long before curtain up.

It's very annoying but it is customary in the theatre to start a little late. It's for the benefit of the performers, who are live actors, remember. It's not fair on them to start the performance whilst patrons are still talking loudly and causing disruption getting to their seats, which annoyingly people will do because in their mind they are not late (THEY ARE!!) they are on time. So I would advise factoring in, in your own mind, 10-15 minutes after the allotted start time for the performance to commence. Think of it as part of the theatre experience and remember there is a live orchestra, actors, backstage crew that all need to be comfortable starting the show, and performing the best they can for you. They are waiting for peace and quiet and focus from the audience too, just like you are. X