STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

laken1 · Hermes

Are you on time?

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I totally depends on the situation. I'm usually early for everything, but if I'm going to someone's house or something like that I'll try to be about 5 minutes late- I would hate to get the early and not have them be ready for me, and I don't want to look like I was sitting in the driveway waiting for it to be time to go in either!

Drew · Gucci

Dude. I'm always late.

My mom says it's ok because it's in my genes; she is always late too. She was even a half hour late to her own wedding. Everyone thought she was a runaway bride. She has promised us all she will be late to her funeral as well. I like to think I follow in Mom's footsteps in this area.

I used to always get threatened at work about being fired for my tardiness but it never happened. Thank God I'm my own boss now becuase I show up to work at random times everyday.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

10-15 minutes late almost always, just ask HeatherLynn

Drew, I also inherited mine from my mother and grandma. I call it late-itas and it is an incurable disease

But I really am trying to work on it and usually get mad at myself when I'm running behind.

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

i am usually like 3 minutes late everywhere i go. i mean to get there on time, it just takes me longer than i expect due to traffic, red lights, changing shoes at the last minute, etc. like you said. but my hubby is the same way as yours. he gets totally bent out of shape if we're late, even if it's for a social event with a sort of open start time (i.e. the party's from 6-10, "we'll fire up the bbq at 6" or something). he even gets annoyed if we're less than 15 minutes early for a movie, even if we're not meeting anyone. i will say that he has made me see the importance of being early/prompt, but i still can't quite make it...

Collette · Chanel

I'm psychotically early, even the thought of being late makes me break out in hives. I've been known to get some place so early that I have to cirlce the block or wait outside so as not to appear crazy early. It totally stems from my father yelling at us as children "we're going to be late" and also being ex-military I think. It drives my poor husband insane.

luckylily · Gucci

Lateness is probably my biggest pet peeve. It pisses me off when people are late, because I often do feel like my time is being wasted. My best friend in high school and college was the worst, she was at least an hour late for everything because she spent so much time curling her bangs into the perfect rooster bangs. Hey it was the late 80s/early 90s! I've actually relaxed about it a lot because the traffic here is so bad. You never know what you are going to get. Sometimes a trip that should take 10 minutes turns into an hour.

I think it totally does depend on the situation tho. Like most parties are pretty open in terms of time, unless it is like an event w/ a sit down meal or something. So, for a bbq, I'd say no big deal, there is no expectation that you be there right at 6. For meeting someone for lunch, I think it is nice to at least give a quick phone call and let them know if you are running late.

It actually annoys me the most in work situations. My office has developed this culture where no meeting starts on time. It drives me crazy to no end to wait around while people trickle in or listen to a bunch of BS while waiting to get started.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

luckylily wrote:

For meeting someone for lunch, I think it is nice to at least give a quick phone call and let them know if you are running late.

Oh, I always give a courtesy call if I'm running more than 5 minutes behind

asf · Kate Spade

i'm generally late. i'm late for work 99% of the time (5-15 minutes, usually, i just can't seem to get out the door on time no matter what!)

i've been getting better about being late for other things, but as far as work goes, it just isn't happening.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

chronically 15 minutes late. i blame it on there not being a clock in the bathroom, so i don't know what time it is when i'm getting ready. so i'll say 10 minutes late due to getting ready, and 5 minutes late due to finishing my drink that i pour when i get ready (i don't want to waste alcohol!).

my bf has started telling me that things start at times 30 minutes earlier than what time they really start at, so that i'll be on time.

and i think it's appreciated when anyone is 10 minutes late to a dinner party. i hate when guests arrive right on time.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

I'm always early/on time, unless of course there's some freak traffic accident or something like that. As others said, it's no biggie if someone is a little late for a casual BBQ or something.

What I don't understand is people who are "chronically" late. For example, my friend/co-worker ALWAYS comes into work 30 minutes late. Every day. I don't understand why she can't set her alarm for 30 minutes earlier and get to work on time. She knows how long it takes her to get ready and drive, so why is she always 30 minutes late?

Kelly · Hermes

I am and always have been late, and it's awful. I work from home, so at the moment I don't have to clock in at a certain time, but I'm hoping to get a second job to hold me over the summer until the fall semester, and I don't know how I'm going to deal with having to be places on time. I've been late to every one of my finals, which I know wasn't excused because I'm late every morning to every class! I'm getting better about getting places on time in the middle of the day, but in the morning there's never a chance. I have three alarm clocks going off for an hour before I'm roused from sleep...something that's hard to change because I'm doing this while unconscious

I do think it's disrespectful, whether it's a class or meeting a friend for lunch. I know how horrible I'm being. But I just can't seem to be on time. I've been this way since I was little, and my parents would make me practice getting ready for school at night so I could see how long it would take me. Of course, the next morning would never be the same and I would always be late.

theotherjess · Chanel

luckylily wrote:

Lateness is probably my biggest pet peeve. It pisses me off when people are late, because I often do feel like my time is being wasted. My best friend in high school and college was the worst, she was at least an hour late for everything because she spent so much time curling her bangs into the perfect rooster bangs. Hey it was the late 80s/early 90s! I've actually relaxed about it a lot because the traffic here is so bad. You never know what you are going to get. Sometimes a trip that should take 10 minutes turns into an hour. I think it totally does depend on the situation tho. Like most parties are pretty open in terms of time, unless it is like an event w/ a sit down meal or something. So, for a bbq, I'd say no big deal, there is no expectation that you be there right at 6. For meeting someone for lunch, I think it is nice to at least give a quick phone call and let them know if you are running late. It actually annoys me the most in work situations. My office has developed this culture where no meeting starts on time. It drives me crazy to no end to wait around while people trickle in or listen to a bunch of BS while waiting to get started.

ITA. Sometimes, it's not your fault if you misjudged the traffic or you get lost, don't know where you're going, etc. That's fine but you should always call. If it's a casual thing at someone's house, it's fine too. If it's a scheduled event that you've known about for a while or meeting someone someplace though, I think it is courteous to be there on time. My parents are always punctual and 85% of the time I am early too (the other 15% is when I get lost...I suck at directions). I think a lot of it is learned from your family though.

NCshopper · Hermes

I HATE being late. It makes me anxious and just generally uncomfortable. I'll always call if I'm going to be more than 5 minutes late. And I especially hate it when I'm ready to be somewhere on time and I hate to wait on another person, for like a business meeting, and they're late. I HATE it because it's a reflection on me too and it's something I always try my best to avoid.

bex · Chanel

I'm never late. I'm always 15 minutes early. I start to panic if I am running 5-10 minutes early. I had a mentor in High School that taught all of us (everyone in my class can recite it):

To be early is to be on time

To be on time is to be late

To be late is to be forgotten

And I've never forgotten it. Espcecially in my industry b/c manufacturer reps area notorious for being late or completely forgetting meetings- so it definitely makes me stand out when I am early!

small fry · Chanel

Iam always about about 5-10 min early for work early. I have co- workers who come in 10- 15 min late all the time.One of the co- workers who takes over at 10p is always late 10-15 min.

helloooo I want to go home.

-- Edited by kaykay at 21:38, 2006-04-26

Irene · Dooney & Bourke

I am on time 99% of the time. Being late consistently is rude, inconsiderate and a testament to a person's personality in my opinion. I absolutely abhor when people are regularly late. My friend Raquel is notoriously late for everything so I have gotten in the habit of telling her to be somewhere an hour early.

Of course there are instances when people cannot help but being late or something just happens. (I think a lot of it has to do with planning. If I have an appointment in a place I have never been, I always add an extra 30-45 minutes to how long I think it should take.) But if you make it a habit, then you need to think of how that is being seen by other people.

Sorry if this seems harsh, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves of all time.

-- Edited by Irene at 08:36, 2006-04-27

gypsyfreak · Coach

I'm annoyingly punctual. I hate to be late for anything or to have people wait for me. Most of my relatives run on "rubber time", which means that they usually arrive 45 minutes to an hour later of the designated time. I've seen how annoying it is to have to always wait for them and so now I am conscious of making sure that I'm on time for everything.

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Well, I'm usually on time, but for certain events, like a house party, or a club event, I don't want to be the 1st one there, so I'll get there maybe an hour or so later, when folks start to show up. I have a friend, she is never-ever-ever on time, been like that since we met, so.... Now I do her like she does me, and arrive a little late. LOL She hates it.

blink · Coach

Yeah, I am always late, especially if it's for something in the morning. But it depends on the appointment, the more important it is to ME, the higher the chance I will be early.

I wish I wasn't like that, but it's a hard habit to break.