Punctuality - a virtue or a vice?

I'm always on time, but then I'm married to Mr. Early. Everywhere we go, we have to go early. The main reason if we're driving, is to get a parking space. We usually have to be at the railway station, or bus stop at least 15 minutes before departure time. I've got so used to it now, that I stick to his timings even when I'm going by myself.
I never used to be like this. When I was young, I always attempted to be on time, but never really worried if I was a few minutes late.

I have been early all of my life. It does irritate me if a friend is late because it means I have been waiting for so much longer.

I’m like Charleygirl, I’d rather be way early than be late or keep someone waiting.

As a constant worrier about everything, I can certainly put myself into the early category. I like to plan my timings so I know I've got time for any emergencies. I'm sure it's lovely to just stroll up without a care in the world

I am always on time/early.

I think those who are late think their time is more important than others = rudeness

I hate being late. It throws me out for the rest of the day! I therefore fall into the early/on time brigade unless things have conspired against me. ?

In an effort to be on time I’m always early. So, usually, are the people I meet.

I like to be a few minutes early, or at the very least on time, and I do find it irritating when people are habitually late for appointments. However, as I often have to rely on public transport and occasionally I need to respond to crises I always ensure I have a phone number to call the person I'm meeting if I think I may be a little late. I'm always understanding when people are delayed for genuine reasons, but I have a colleague who is rarely on time and I think her behaviour is simply rude.

When it comes to catching trains and planes I would much rather be (and often am) an hour early than risk being five minutes late.

Yes, I'm also an 'early'.
Some years ago we were going to our son's wedding some 5000 miles distant. We, six of us, had a flight to London Heathrow from our local airport to make the connection. Our local flight was at around 6am in mid winter. We ordered an 8 seater taxi to be able to take all the luggage. There was snow and ice. I was very determined that we would under no circumstances of travel conditions, weather, late taxi, miss our flight and thus the connection.

Suffice to say that we were in the local airport in time to have caught the earlier flight to Heathrow.n !!

Always early ,in our job as wedding photographers though we've seen brides get later and later over the years.It used to be "normal" for the bride to be a couple of minutes late now it can be an hour or more.We had a priest who told the congregation that if she didn't show in the next 10 minutes he was closing the church and going home.He said that she was being selfish and inconsiderate to the 100 people who had been sat in the church for 55 minutes waiting for her and that didn't bode well for her marriage .Some of her guests had come a long way and already spent hours on their trip.I wish there were more like him as they seem to think as its "their day" they can be as late and as rude as they like .

I am an ‘early’ I try to be just a minute or two early but I m always at least a quarter of an hour I ve always been an ‘early’ as I ve always been afraid of being late
My son must have picked it up as he can’t bear lateness and paces as soon as the allotted time has passed both my daughters are fairly ok although one does tend to ‘run’ late but she has such a busy work/home life I forgive her

I went to a school where unpunctuality was regarded as being on a par with regicide. Consequently, I will turn up two hours early rather than 2 minutes late. More seriously, I do regard lateness as rude. If you have agreed to meet at, say, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock is not good enough. A couple of minutes because the traffic is heavy is fine, a couple of hours is unexceptable unless something very serious has happened.

The last 25 years of my working life was run by the clock, the diary ruled, it was unthinkable not to be on time for appointments. I loved my profession and often wonder if that was part of the attraction as I can’t bear to be late and get unreasonably irritated at lateness in others. I’m far more comfortable leaving an hour early than two minutes late. We’re off to care for one of ours on Monday, the plan is to leave at 7, it’s a 45 minute journey and we need to be there by 8.45. Well, it allows for traffic .

I’m doomed. Whatever time I leave and however much time I allow, some disaster always seems to happen to ensure that I arrive by the skin of my teeth, just on time. This is an improvement from my younger days when I was consistently several minutes late. There have been rare occurrences when the traffic has been fine, I haven’t mislaid keys, DGC have co-operated, etc that I’ve arrived early - usually about an hour early, which indicates my chaotic nature and inability to organise!

I'm always early too. Working with adults with Autism I always had to be on time! A colleague once was late on a home visit and wasn't allowed in because she was late.
I used to always see people exactly on time in my clinics. With people with ASD you had to say what you mean, mean what you say and do what you say you're going to do.
I get fed up being seen late at eg the dentists or hairdressers especially if I can hear them chatting or having a cup of tea in the back.

It depends on where I’m going. I have to set off for an airport very early, and don’t care if I’ve loads of time to spare once through security. DH would rather stroll up at the last minute, but even he was impressed when our flight was cancelled and they put us on the previous one instead of our having to wait overnight for the next! And when we got the last two seats on our flight from Canada which had been seriously overbooked.

On the other hand, and I speak from experience , I’d never turn up 40 minutes early for a party and get in the way chatting brightly while my host’s still doing her last minute prep and hoping to grab a few minutes to get herself ready. Especially when constantly asking if there’s anything I can do to help. Yes, b....r off and come back at the right time.

I hate running late for anything. I don't like that feeling of mild panic, when I can see the time slipping past and I'm not where I'm supposed to be. I'd rather arrive an hour early than 5 minutes late.

A virtue

maggie I am with you on the early guest scenario. DH ..not a cook or party organiser .. is a very " prompt" person. I have learned over years to add at least 15 minutes to a time we have been asked to arrive for a party / dinner etc. as DH would be at the door a bit before given time.
Conversely , having holidayed with much loved friends who are habitually late for everything, I do not think lateness is anything but rude! ( emergencies excluded!)

It all depends. I have never missed a train or plane, because I was running late except in extremis (motorway crash that had us held up for two hours on a one hour journey). I have never been late for a doctor's appointment.

BUT

When entertaining people or having a one-to-one meeting, I always prefer a few minutes breathing space. So if I am expecting a visitor at 12.00, I prefer it if they arrive at 12.05. Those 5 minutes of breathing time when, with everything ready, you can take a few minutes to relax, breathe deeply and be ready to greet the visitor, as if you haven't been rushing around like a whirling dervish until 5 minutes previously getting everything ready.

DH always likes to allow plenty of time for a journey, he is of the mind that if you leave the house late all traffic lights will be against you and there will be jams.
We have been known to sit round the corner from my sister's house because arriving too early would disturb her afternoon nap.

Habit of a lifetime instilled in the military where late was a punishable offence.

I am always early and Id rather that than late every time !!

I agree with Maggiemaybe about giving the host an extra few minutes, I know how much those few minutes mean when you are rushing around. I'm not an on time person usually leaving things until the last minute, my husband likes to be early so there have been a few
rows minor disagreements.
Paddyann I can't believe how late some brides leave thing, I agree with the comments
of the priest.

Throughout my life I've always been the one waiting ! My mum's fault as she was a stickler for being early/on-time.