Punctuality - a virtue or a vice?

Not forgetting the times (often) when you have to go back home to check the door really is late!

i agree i usually arrive late. but then i have to check things are OFF and SHUT then the bus doesn't arrive on time...one crawls along like a snail stopping at every stop even though there's no one waiting for the bus.so not always my fault that i am late..

Thank you Eazybee! I agree. I’ve always been fairly busy, with full days so I arrive more or less on time. Sometimes a couple of minutes late and never first in the queue. But I have been made to feel really inadequate by people who’ve been there half an hour and more before the arranged time.

I hate being first. I think it comes from my youth when I was really shy and being first made you conspicuous, which was the last thing I wanted. I wonder if that’s the cause of many people’s lateness.

I once told someone that I am 'congenitally punctual' and they looked at me as though I had just said I had some dreadful contagious disease.

Like Minimoon I also married a Mr Early I hate the fact we have to arrive early for appointments/flights/meals out when meeting others, really winds me up when I'm waiting for 20 - 30 mins as we've had to leave in plenty of time.
When I'm on my own I'm punctual i.e. within 2 mins of the appointment.

I think punctuality is a courtesy, but being too early is as rude as being late. I have had various friends through my life who are obsessive about being on time, but for them it translates into being far, far too early, and, sometimes, I think, gaining pleasure from people being unprepared.

I'm afraid I'm always chasing my tail...I don't like people to be early if invited over for a meal, I think it's just as annoying as being excessively late....what's a few minutes anyway. It's important to be on time for flights and doctors appointments etc but it's hardly the end of the world when meeting up with friends is it?

I am always on time for important appointments and try to be on time for other occasions but I am a bit of a 'last minute' person. My daughters are always late and it's not that they think their time is more important so they are not being rude but, like me, they are 'last minute' people. No problem - I just factor in their lateness and it doesn't bother me.

However, I used to have friend who was always early. That really annoyed me. She would arrive half an hour early and then sit around in my house while I got ready and made me feel that I had to rush. I did point out to her on more than one occasion that it was no use being early as I wouldn't be ready. Her response was that she didn't mind waiting. I pointed out to her once that I DID mind her waiting but she just laughed as if I had made a joke.

Quite definitely early, especially in the case of doctor's surgery and hospital appointments. Don't dare to try 'affording' the luxury of being late for those!

I always try to be early ,rather than late, when meeting friends or going out anywhere. I have a friend who is always late -usually blaming the bus into town. I know that my daughter will be late for any arrangement but try to excuse her because she has two young children and might have been held up by them! It still makes me annoyed though!

I’m one of those ‘arrive early types’ although I have loosened up a tad in later years since semi-retirement. My fate was sealed by being brought up, then subsequently working in a military environment where one’s life was regimented and lateness not tolerated. If I’m flying anywhere I arrive early and use the airline lounge to relax. Doctor appointments and most business meetings I tend to arrive a little early to organise my thoughts etc. Otherwise, I’m not as anal as I was regarding time management. There is also courtesy to others in play here; although in this ‘it’s all about me’ age caring about the feelings of others is somewhat unfashionable.

Arriving 'on time' is a matter of good manners.

For something 'social', I'd say that anything up to 15mins late is 'acceptable', especially if you've had to travel any kind of distance - but, anything more requires a quick phone call to apologise.

For something 'more formal' - such as an interview or business meeting - punctuality is absolutely an essential. I'd aim for 'early' on that kind of occasion.

I’m glad I’m among so many like-minded people. I really get quite panicky if I think I’m going to be late. I’m usually bang on time. I have one acquaintance who is usually late and I have to say I find it annoying.

I tried setting my watch five minutes early, but it didn't work as I just took five minutes off all the time.

EllanVannin
IoM?

I like to be on time and hate being late. I think my son was swapped at birth as the only time he has been on time was when he was born.

I’m usually spot on the dot time wise. I have been known to tavel 50 miles and arrive on time. When my children were young and I picked them up from parties they were always the first to leave because, much to their disgust, I was the only mum to arrive on time.

very rude to be late.

I think punctuality is a virtue. I dislike being late and find that things tend to go wrong generally if you're not mindful of time.

Am I the only one who sets her watch five minutes fast so that when I am (invariably) rushing around at the last minute, I am not as late as I thought I was?

These days I am often the first to arrive at a given meeting point and surprise myself!

I do have to be at the station/bus stop/airport much earlier than my train/bus/plane though. I get quite anxious at the thought of either rushing on at the last minute or missing it completely because of hold ups or delays (as outlined by MawBroon in the OP.)

I would rather be one hour early, rather than five minutes late. My spouse is terrible with time, so I now say that we have to leave at 10am, when really it is 10.30am, that way, we sometimes leave on time. It doesn't always work though!

My husband had no sense of time and if we got an invitation for something starting at 7.30, he would only get going at 7.30. It used to drive me mad, then I decided to tell him something started half an hour before it actually did. We would usually get there on time then!

My girlfriend and I take it in turns to drive, she drives during the daytime and I drive at nights. Whatever time I arrange to pick her up she is never ready. I have to sit outside her house in my car and wait and ring her phone. She says coming out now then still makes me wait another five minutes. I sometimes feel like driving off. It makes me very irritated.

Following what I said above, I do manage to get to most things on time. However, when I am punctual, e.g. for choir practice or a meeting,it is usually the case that the first 5 or 10 minutes are spent in irrelevant chatter and I needn't have hurried.

Reading through these posts I realise I'm not late, I don't remember ever holding up the start of a meeting, or found my child standing alone in the playground with the teacher. I'm just generally the last to arrive.

Today, I was supposed to be in the Market Square at 2.00pm to help plant out the tubs for winter display. Because I had some replacement planters (DH makes them) I got my act together and arrived at 1.40pm. I was the last but one to arrive. I now realise that I should arrive at least half an hour earlier than the arranged time - just not for dinner parties. Why did no one tell me this earlier in my life?!