To think that people who arrive early are as annoying as people who arrive late?

[6079SmithW]

Just that really. Don’t arrive early. I won’t be ready!

Agreed. Why can't people just be on time? 😂 I always make sure to arrive early, but will sit in the car or potter about until the time I'm supposed to be arrive so not to be an inconvenience to the person expecting me.

If I'm going to someone's house I'll pull into a layby/sidestreet and wait rather than be early.

I hate people being late, obviously depending on reason, but we have close friends who have NEVER been on time, so WE plan accordingly!! Keeps me sane but still annoyed that we have to do that for 2 adults who hold down good jobs! Just rude!

Yes! We had a candidate interviewing for a job turn up hours early and we didn’t know what to do with them 😆 really made a bad impression as they were already putting us out. Interview location was city centre with lots of cafes/pubs to wait in nearby so was off putting that they hadn’t used initiative/ didn’t have the confidence to go and sit in one of those until the right time.

I have a lovely lovely old friend who I have learnt to assume will always be a few minutes early. It drives me absolutely crazy as inevitably I'm doing the lat minute tidy up or rushing upstairs to finish putting make up on!

I think expecting people to be on the dot is a bit odd too. Really early or really late are a no-no, though. I’d say any more than 10 mins early or half an hour late is ok for things at home. Different if you are meeting out somewhere. Being annoyed someone is a few minutes early is odd. I’m always ready about half an hour before visitors are due and aim food for about an hour after the time scheduled. That way there’s some flexibility.

edit: I’m only referring to visitors to your home here.

I'm always early but I just wait in the car or a coffee shop or something until it's time to visit. I don't mind people being early at my house, I'm usually ready at least an hour before visitors are due.

Lateness is much worse imo

It's so rude and I can't stand it.

I find guests arriving early far more annoying. In fact we have repeat offenders in our family (both sides), so we now tell them to arrive at 3 if we actually mean 2.

I remember one of my children’s parties where every single child had been dropped off and left (they were old enough) at least 5 minutes before the time the party was due to start.

People being early are more annoying. And that's saying something because I really dislike people being late.

Early to my house is unforgivable! Early to a venue where they just have to sit on their phone with a beer for a few minutes, we'll, that's their choice. But I've turned people away from parties before who were too early. I said, go to the pub across the road and come back in an hour! I don't want people under my feet when I'm doing last minute prep. In fact I prefer people to be 15 mins late to dinner at mine as it will be running late!

Oh yes! I run an event at work that starts at 9, already has a one hour buffer, ie registration and coffee from 8. I still get people arriving at 7.30am being annoyed that we aren't ready for them!

Yes, I hate it. Always remember a dear friend turning up half an hour early once when I was still rushing round doing last-minute jobs and hadn't done my makeup yet. She greeted me with a big smile and instead of feeling pleased to see her, I just felt annoyed (obviously I hid this).

I make a point of never being early. On the contrary, I'm always a few minutes late to give my host time to finish up any prep.

Yes. But if taking public transport it’s not always possible to time things perfectly. I wouldn’t want my friends to feel they had to skulk around the neighbourhood in the rain until perfectly on time.

Yes I agree earliness is also annoying
I had one lady bring her 5 year to my daughters birthday party almost an hour early (she acknowledged she was early said kids were bored waiting at home) It was a hall style party and we'd only just got keys and were frantically setting up sorting out food etc and the Entertainer. Wouldn't have been a problem really but she bought all 3 of her children with her and they were pestering us for food and drinks! Really stressed me out and ruined the day if I'm honest

Late arrivers and early birds are both incompetent at managing their time but late arrivers also devalue the time of their host.

That's so rude of her.

I think it's a very individual thing really, I think 15 minutes either way is fine when people are visiting me, except I don't apply that to myself because I'm perpetually early arriving somewhere and used to be found skulking in bus stops if no where else was available until an appropriate time, or now sitting in my car. I'd rather do that than be late, I think because for some reason being late really stresses me out, but I know being early can inconvenience people as well, so I'd rather get there early (so I've allowed for any delays that might have made me late) and sit and wait, than be late. I'm not particularly annoyed when other people are early or late, within reason.

I walk round the block or use a cafe if it’s someone else, except when going out with my daughter. She always arrives 15 mins early, so I do too - works every time.

10 mins early/late night bother.

Anything more than that is rude.

But I find lateness way worse than being early.

If you're mega early, I'm putting you to work 😆

I build in that most people will be 5-15mins late, so people being early really annoys me (unless they're close friends or family that I can coerce into helping!😁)

Yes, I dislike people showing up early more than I dislike someone turning up late. I like to be ready for people, so it stresses me out if people turn up at my house early.

I'm a very early person. I'm at least 10-15 early to everything. Mostly because I bloody hate it when people are late and don't want to be hypocrite. I think being exactly on time is almost impossible, it feels anyway - you're almost always either early or late. I'd 100% take early every time.

Does my head in too. I have a client facing job..barely any time to even have lunch some days..I'll have a 5 minute gap and as I'm about to pull my trousers down to go to the toilet the door knocks. Okay trousers back up no wee for me for another 2 hrs!🙄

I can't stand to be late! I'm always early but if going to someone's house will wait until the agreed time to ring on the bell. If its a restaurant and I'm 15 minutes early (always factor in time for travel delays) and they have a bar I'll wait there, if not I'm happy to stroll around until the booking time. (Lateness to a restaurant can cause massive knock on effects for the staff. )