To be late once in a while is one thing because we all have things that come up. But chronic lateness, I don't think there is any excuse for it.

There is no excuse for repeatedly being late. I know too many people like that, even my own Grandmother.

Nothing sends a message of discourtesy faster than this habit.

I would fire them, plain and simple.

Used to be a pet peeve of mine when someone showed up late, but have learned to live with it. People are going to be late no matter what, even to their own weddings and funerals. There are few things that will be that important that you must be there on time. It is kind of rude and disruptive to show up late to certain things, but if you need that much control in your life, join the military. I try to be early for everything only because I don't like the stress of being late, but then I find that I spend a lot of time just waiting around because I'm so early.

Cronic Tardiness is a symptom of several sleep disorders, Narcolepsy being one of them. The segment of the brain that regulates sleep, also regulates the individuals "inner time clock". Most narcoleptics are chronically late because they lack the ability to discern the passage of time, not because they are self absorbed and disrespectful.

My band director could not stress it enough: on time is 15 minutes early. He meant it, too....if you were not in your seat, warmed up, and playing that first note when he gave the first downbeat at the top of the hour, you were not counted as present, and that cost you a letter grade in his class or two, depending on how chronic you were. It's now one of my peaves, and I pride myself on being on time to stuff. I lost count how many coworkers got launched by various bosses over my tenures at Circle K, Arby's, and other such fun establishments, just because they left the crew hanging by being late all the time.

I hate people who cant be on time my impatiency gets involved

I have a friend who is chronically late. As a child she was the "self-extension" of (in my opinion) a narcissistic mother and the object of a bitter, ongoing custody battle between her parents. Her mother always prevailed and remains the dominant figure in her life. Her mom is late to everything as well; I've often wondered if it's just another way the two of them are bonded together. She's fun and funny, great to be around in every way except this. I'd say she also has some issues with personal accountability -- that's probably consistent with the lack of consideration for others that chronic lateness suggests.

I had a kid busted down (reduced in rank for the non military) for showing up late and mouthing off to me about it.

I hate being late therefore, I never am. However people who are late annoy me even more! Early is on time. On time is late! and late is not exceptable

my friend is always late for everything everday. her family even tells her that family events are 2 hours earlier than they really are so they can try to get her there on time. we all accept this in her though and willing work around it. except sheactually surprised me a few days ago when i was waiting one night for her to come and pick me up and came very close to getting mugged and i was just praying that for once could she actually be on her way when she said than the normal extra 20 minutes i'd usually have to wait and there she was for the first time in the years ive known her she was there within minutes of saying she would be. i was so happy to see her

I always thought I was bad about this, until I met some of my friends. They are by far the worst at being on time. If I want to plan something with them, I tell them to meet me at least 30 minutes earlier than needed. And they are usually still late! I guess I should have taken this into consideration when choosing bridesmaids becuase we had to sit around for 30 minutes waiting on 2 of them at the rehearsal and also when getting our hair done the next morning.

Wow, most of you people are uptight anile jerks. You all have bad habits - I seem to recall someone wise once said those without sin cast no stone. I don't think you deserve friends or loved ones or even decent coworkers with your cruel intolerance. Drug tobacco and alcohol addict-sufferers can prevent much trouble by never touching their substance of concern; overweight and time challenged people have no hope of that method as a way out, so it is much harder for them. But hey, compassion tolerance forgiveness and encouragement are in such short supply these days, i'm not surprised. This planet doesn't deserve the likes of Ghandi or King or Mother Theresa, it sometimes seems. Then again, without their example, we'd really be up the creek. Lighten up and critcise your own early-bird OCD (that's obsessive-compulsive disorder to the uninitiated) if you can bear to part with the superiority it gives you!

It really doesn't matter WHY the person continues to be late over and over and over. It just shows disrespect and inconsideration to the person that is waiting. It angers that person, and generally when it happens coninuously the relationship can't help be strained from built up resentment. There are choices in this life. Just as smoking, eating, drinking are choices. We DO have choices. And when something or someone is important enough, we choose the RIGHT choice. When someone is late all the time KNOWING it upsets the person waiting, it just sends the message, that they are not important enough to them to CHOOSE to be respectful of them and their relationship. Basically, you set that relationship up for failure!

There are few things on this Earth that upset me more than tardiness. If I have gone through the struggle of making sure I can be on time and available to the other person, why can't they show the same respect for me? What further irritates me about tardy people is that their typically someone you can't rely on. Very bad habit to have, and a very rude one, to say the least.

There are 2 people in my family that are ALWAYS late!! No matter what the reason we are meeting for. They are always at least 30 minutes late. The last time was on vacation a few weeks ago. We leave at 5 a.m. and they are always late while everyone else managed to be up, packed and ready to drive. And then on the last day they said they were the one's that wanted to leave by 6 a.m. to go home. Well here we all were at almost 7 a.m. all packed up and sitting around waiting on them!! UGH!!!

I have to admit that chronic lateness is one of my pet peeves. To me the person who is always late, always the last one to show up for a family get together is just plain inconsiderate. I get annoyed that when someone elses lateness inconveniences me.I can think of so many examples such as having to eat Thanksgiving dinner late because uncle Dave has not shown up, sitting around on a saturday when mother in law says she will come at 11:00 am and comes waltzing in the door three hours later. People who hold up meetings, or come in late at movies, and being blocked waiting for them to sit down. being stuck on a tour bus waiting to leave because some people have never heard of a watch. I do not like always having to live by a clock, but I always try hard to be on time. It is damned annoying when some people act like they are exempt from being on time. It is inconsiderate for them to assume that I have nothing better to do with my time than wait around for them to show up.gggrrrrr.!

LOL This is my wife and her family to a T. I call what they go through as a time wharp. If they say they are going to be over at 7, they will show up at 8. Easy solution, tell them to show a half an hour to an hour before you want them to be there. It's really worked for me.

There is nothing wrong with being late occasionally. But the person who is chronically late is sending out signals to others that his/her time is more important than your own. It's also a nuisance, when an entire group is planning to go someplace together or eat together, to have to wait until the chronically late person shows up. The people I've known who are always tardy, are also controllers in other ways, often seeking to manipulate people or events. And worst of all, they never seem sorry when they hold others up. Some even act like they think their tardiness is cute.

I know it's socially unexceptable, more so in business than in social events. The times past when I was late for a social family event, I realize now that I really didn't want to go and was too young to realize I could decline the invitation. I don't go to them now unless I really want to attend. I was late for the first day of school at kindergarten and probably most days at school. School was a block and a half away. I am definitely NOT a morning person. My best work is 8pm to midnight when I am on my natural clock. My mother took us to church an hour and a half late every single sunday I can remember. She got us kids ready (we didn't want to go) and finally, she got herself ready which took up the time. George Burns said it all had to do with having your props ready and at hand. Good advice. One time I went to a party that was scheduled for 8pm and all the Sri Lankan guests arrived at 11pm. In their country and in India, if you say 8pm, that's when people leave their houses to start out. When they all walked in happy and smiling to the party, I thought, THESE are MY people! I usually don't give a fiddler's fart if someone is late. I think I'm a natural Jamacian. Reggae events were like that. The band showed up late and I loved it. They always gave a great show. I would hate to have friend like the guy who left the poor lady on the dock. What did he need to leave on time for? It was a pleasure outing, not work. He could have waited 15 minutes for her and enjoyed himself instead of steaming. I can't stand people like this. I have missed planes and gotten bumped up to first class, given a direct route, good things have happened as a result of being late. I rushed to get to that plane and paid a taxi driver extra and I was supposed to be two hours early for an international flight, I didn't know that. Because of the training I got from my mother, when I was about 21 I was an hour and a half late to a doctor's appointment. I didn't have a clue about time. I have been a hairdresser for a long time and most client's are on time and if they're late, I understand. I always stay late and usually don't take lunches, but that never matters when time for a review roles around. So, this time fixation we have is foriegn to me, but I always am working on it (until I live in India or Jamaica). I do think it's oppressive. I do my best now and don't beat myself up about it. My watch is set ahead 20 minutes all the time. I would like to wring the neck of whoever invented clocks. I'd like to see all the punctual people be required to tell time using only the sun!

Showing up late is rude and inconsiderate. Does the latecover ever ever stop to remember what it feels like to stand outside a restaurant or sit in a meeting room alone for twenty minutes? Maybe not, since they've probably never had to do it. It's embarassing and annoying, and it makes me feel like the person does not mind wasting my time. Not that their time is more important - just that mine is not important at all. Although the lateness is still a problem, I do appreciate it when people call to let me know they'll be late - but please try and call before I've left for the meeting place so I won't have to go through the agony of waiting.

I would like to know when lateness became the defining criteria by society as to whether that person is a good person or a bad person in our world. And in reference to the issues of control, selfishness and rudeness, the tables are easliy turned to interpret those demanding punctuality as needing to control, selfishness for wanting their own way always - is my way or the highwaya' - beon time! and also rude in the level of smugness and lack of some of the better qualities of tolerance and flexibility. To feel that the late person has no respect for your time denotes that those people feel in turn that their time is the only time that should be respected. If you feel that this is an important quality to exhibit so be it and go right ahead and do, but what happens when someone else doesn't agee with your opinion and doesn't hold this quality high on the judgement scale? Are you saying that only your opinion is correct and the others with an opposing opinion about this life/social issue is not entitled to have nor exhibit their opposing opinion. Wouldn't that be the ultimate in control, demand, and lack of consideration on the part of those demanding punctuality? Who made this the world rule? You?

Like snaketaurus, I acknowledge that I have a problem with punctuality. It is an issue I have struggled with for many years with little success. As a psychologist, I can say that chronic lateness is not based on feeling that one's time is more valuable than that of others. I feel very guilty and ashamed each and every time I'm late. Chronic lateness is a deeply rooted problem that involves characteristics such as anxiety, distractibility, low self-esteem, and poor self-discipline. Many of us chronically late folks are also expert procrastinators (I remember putting off school projects as far back as 2nd grade!)and perfectionists (ironic, isn't it?). These habits are very strong because they often start in childhood. Think about it, if you said to someone who had been a smoker for 15 years, just stop smoking, would you expect them to be able to stop immediately? How about telling a person who overeats, just don't eat so much.? It is a very complex issue and, unforunately, it's one that others find universally annoying. I recently renewed my efforts to break this habit by looking for research about chronic lateness and I found empirical studies, articles, and self-help books on this topic with one internet search. My humble opinion/advice: If you're a chronically late person, type chronic tardiness or chronic lateness into your search engine and get yourself the help you deserve! If you live or work with someone who is chronically late, take 5 minutes to do a quick internet search yourself, print up a webpage or book title, and give it to the offender. There is even a website from which you can send an anonymous Official Lateness Citation. Good luck!

I have a persistent problem with lateness, especially but not exclusively at work. It's certainly not my conscious intent to manipulate people and I'll give my time freely to anyone who wants it. At work, I otherwise have an outstanding record and give back time on my off days, on my lunch hours, and after my shifts. It's not about rudeness, and I hate the effect it has on other people and the fact that my behaviour is resented so much. It holds me back educationally, professionally and socially, it's frustrating, embarassing, and depressing, but each time I arrive somewhere late, it's like watching a car crash--it's a horrible realisation that feels beyond my control. I get told to set my watch ahead, leave earlier, and other time management advice, but this presupposes that I'm lacking in common sense or intelligence that I haven't figured these things out. There's no other evidence that I'm lacking in these areas, and in fact my IQ is far above average. I'm genuinely sorry about all inconvenience I cause people, and understand any practical steps deemed neccesary to prevent one's being victimized, but don't take it for granted that the chronically late are trying to put one over on you. In my particular case, I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, depression, and anhedonia. I suppose on a most fundamental level, I derive no pleasure or satisfaction from anything sufficient to motivate a change in my behaviour, and even though it's self-destructive, lateness is addictive in a way, like smoking or drug use. The adrenaline rush I get from being late at work when I am, actually makes me more alert and effective, even if it's only by a matter of a few minutes. One solution I'm exploring is amino acid supplementation, and failing that, I think antidepressants may be the route to go

This tells me that you have no responsibility or just don't care about the other person's time, only your own. Chronic lateness is a big pet peeve of mine, I hate waiting for people, I expect them to be early or on time. Being late once in a while is fine, but those who are habitually late show a lack of character.

Being late occasionally with an excuse is ok.But if you are known for being late,you're late too often and need to try to leave early for appointments.

it's a terrible habit and it's very rude so i should just quit it but it's hard!

I usually don't put my life on a strict schedule (other than work), so the punctuality of my friends to an event typically doesn't bother me all that much. If they're chronically late, I kind of end up expecting them to be, but I don't hold it against them. Until it hurts someone, it's not that bad. However, if they're going to be late, a phone call if possible is appreciated; the worst part of people being late is when you start worrying about their well-being, like wondering if they got into an accident or something.

It seems like this goes hand in hand with procrastination. It's rude and it will just create you a world of problems.

Selfish and rude

Some people just don't get it. Several years ago my then girlfriend and I had planned to go out on our boat. She had a friend named Cheryl who she had invited to come along. We TOLD HER TWICE that we were leaving at 8am and please don't be late. The next morning 8am came. No Cheryl. Out of deference to my GF I waited till 8:05. (shouldn't have, but I did) At 8:05 still no Cheryl so we left. Before we reached the end of the canal Cheryl drove up to the dock blowing the car horn. I kept going and left her. A couple of days later she told my GF that she'd overslept. Oh well.

I can't stand it when someone says that they'll phone you or meet you at a specific time and then they are really late - and it keeps on happening. it doesn't take much to phone if you know you are going to be late when meeting someone or to actually figure out how long it should take you to reach where you are going. ANNOYING!

occasionally ppl have a good reason, and baisicly i don't care about that, but when it affects me, beware, i'm not really tolorable to that kind of things... but chronic lateness got nothing to do with thinking your time is more important than others Solenoid.. it's mostly bad time organization... more like sloppy time organizatin acually...

Being late isn't bad if it does not affect anyone. Now, if you constantly leave people waiting when you have a set appointment time and date, then you're really being rude. There is nothing that I dislike more than people being constantly late to appointments. If you run a business, time is money. Well, if you're going to meet someone and they don't arrive on time, then you're losing money. People who are late are also very inconsiderate of other peoples time. A person who is constantly late does not simply care about the person left waiting. How difficult is it to phone ahead to tell someone that you'll be late for an appointment?? It's not too difficult...

Once in awhile nearly anyone will have a perfectly valid reason for being late. However, chronic lateness, in my opinion, is just another way of saying that nothing is more important to you than what you’re doing and that you lack obvious consideration for the other people. And, unless the chronically late person has some kind of physical or mental problem, this is really just an issue of poor organizational skills with basically no real excuse.