If, due to unforeseen circumstances, I am going to be late, I always ring or text whoever I am meeting, or the place I am due at, to let them know.
What I wouldn’t do is turn up late, with no explanation whatsoever and carry on as normal.
Sadly, for a lot of people, lateness isn’t something to get worked up about. If you’re late, be it ten minutes, half and hour or even an hour, so what?
I recently booked a tradesperson to fix something in my home. He was meant to arrive at 11am. I waited, and waited. At almost noon I rang him, only to be told, in a casual way: “I went to what I thought was your house and it was the right number and the right street name, but the wrong village.” I didn’t believe him: he had my postcode and I am sure he’d have a sat nav.
He said he would be another 40 minutes, so I told him to forget it. Why he couldn’t have rung me to let me know he’d mistakenly gone to John o’ Groats and would be late, I don’t know.
I’ve had several other, similar, experiences, as have my neighbours.
Being late, without apologising or giving a valid reason, is rude and unacceptable.
There’s been a lot of media attention over the decision by a primary school in Kent to fine parents £6 if they are late in picking up their children at the end of the day.
School staff claim they are dealing with an increasing number of pupils being collected late without being informed and without any apology to staff. Children who were regularly left for up to 30 minutes without explanation became distressed, the chairman of the school’s board of governors explained.
The plan gained unanimous support from parents who turned up on time to collect their kids.
Financial penalties for late pick-ups at schools are nothing new. When my children were young their nursery got so sick of parents arriving late, delaying staff from going home and causing anxiety for the youngsters, that they imposed a charge of £15 for every 15 minutes they were overdue. From then on, the serial offenders made sure they were on time.
Some people just don’t care. Pop stars turn up hours late to perform at concerts, and loyal fans are supposed to sit it out. It shows nothing but contempt for others.
My own husband is prone to being late. If we have got to be somewhere, he has to be cajoled into getting a shower, getting dressed, getting into the car…it drives me mad. If we’ve got an appointment I tell him it’s an hour earlier just to get him moving.
If I didn’t know him better – he is never late for work – I’d say he was suffering from ‘chronic lateness’. Yes, perpetual lateness is a medical condition, thought to originate in the same part of the brain that affects those who suffer from Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
I am, of course, sympathetic towards genuine sufferers, but those whose propensity for lateness isn’t officially certified – like my husband – should buck their ideas up.
Some people treat being late as their ‘trademark’, a badge of honour. In every group of friends there is always one who is known for never arriving at the pub on time. It’s usually seen as a bit of a joke – “Oh that’s just Charlie”, people will say – but really it’s no laughing matter. It’s a bad example to set to anyone.
While I strive to be on time in person, I have to admit to being useless online. If I respond to an email within 48 hours it’s a miracle. In that department, I hang my head in shame.
