Are you someone thats always running late?

United States
March 25, 2008 5:51pm CST
I can't stand to be late. I'd almost rather not go, then not be there on time. I often have to wait an hour before starting work or attending an appointment, because I dread the guilty feeling being late gives me. I have known plenty of people who wait to the very last minute to get wherever they are going and I don't know how they handle that additional stress. Are you someone thats always running late or do you prefer to leave with plenty of time to spare?
7 people like this
35 responses
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
25 Mar 08
I am the complete opposite, I am someone who always gets to places early, in fact far too early sometimes, I hate rushing and I like to give myself ample time so I don't increase my blood pressure if the train is delayed or I lose time trying to get to my destination. If I am going somewhere new I will allow extra time, I always turn up early when meeting friends and I actually get quite miffed when I turn up early and they turn up late! Means hanging around longer. I pride myself on my great impeccable timekeeping.
5 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Mar 08
I always give myself enough time to allow for any emergency so I too am usually a bit early to appointments with doctors or with friends.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
26 Mar 08
I always leave to arrive for work at least ten minutes early just in case I get stuck in traffic. It annoys me when people are always late for no good reason but obviously am ok if it is a one off and there is a genuine reason as to why. I don't get anywhere too early though, an hour before is a bit extreme in my view but understandable if it is something that concerns you a lot. I sometimes wonder how my eldest daughter ever arrives anywhere on time but always seems to even if to me she seems to leave everything til the eleventh hour LOL. Ellie :D
@sherrir101 (3670)
• Malinta, Ohio
26 Mar 08
I am one who has such a fear of being late or behind (must be my ADD), that I am often 1/2 hour early for most things. My fear started just after high school (for what reasons are unknown) and still continues 25 years later.
2 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
26 Mar 08
I don't like being late to anything and always try to prepare myself to get there with a bit of time to spare. Sometimes I do misjudge the metro or bus timetable and or traffic so have to allow for a bit of extra time. I find that if I do accidently run late, I panic and usually forget something important that I needed to take with me.
• Canada
26 Mar 08
For the most part im not usually a late person. If anything im usually at an appointment way ahead of time. Its something that i do passivly now allowing myself about 10 to 20 extra minutes incase anything actually comes up. There are times however when i am late and at those times i am extremely late.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85147)
• Shingle Springs, California
25 Mar 08
I'm rarely late. If it looks like I'm going to be late and/or I'm with somebody who's making me late, I go nuts. Got it from my mom, I guess. She was almost always the first person to get anywhere!
3 people like this
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
26 Mar 08
I hate having to wait for anyone... So I usually get there right on time... or 5 minutes early. However... I usually make sure not to be late.
• United States
26 Mar 08
I HATE to be late. Im the type who is ready to go an hour before I have to be there. I usually get to where I need to be 30 minutes before my appointment or work. I have enough to worry about with getting everything ready and the kids together to have to rush around at the last minute. Right now I dont drive so I have to depend on my sitter to get me to work. I have explained to her that I like to be early and so does she so it works out. Now others in the past dont listen so well. We have to rush to get there and them we are late. UGG! How hard is it to get here to get me early? Now I tell them I have to be somewhere 30-45 minutes before I do. Like if I have an appointment at 2 pm I tell them its at 1:15. That way by the time they get here we are still early. SNEAKY SNEAKY! LOL.
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
26 Mar 08
Guilty here. Unfortunately I'm the kind of person who's always running late. LOL. It does feel better when I do arrive early. It's a different story when I have a flight to catch though. I make sure I'm always early or on time for a flight. It's too much hassle to be left behind by your plane.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
26 Mar 08
Well, i am never late for appointments, work, or even parties... i don't want to act like the diva or the so called important person... it is so very rude to be late and to keep others waiting... But i must admit that i have my late moments as welll... and that is when i have to go to a meeting that i hate... or there is a person or two that i do not like...
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Mar 08
NO i'm a early bird. i cant stnd to be late , it throws my whole day off. I dont understand how someone would want to be late. I plan ahead, even though I have a baby.Its hard but I still do it. I just cant stand to be late end of story!
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
26 Mar 08
I hate being late too. I'm a big procrastinator so you would think being late would be in that same category, but nope. I'm usually early if anything and like you, would rather not go if it meant being late. I especially hated going in to church late every week. My ex made us late every time.
1 person likes this
@cheney (199)
• Hong Kong
26 Mar 08
I am that kind of person who always running late. Almost late for everything including go to bed. Lol. I always feel guilty for my procrastination. But I never succeed in changing my behavior, for it has become a bad habit.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
26 Mar 08
One lesson my late father taught me was how to be punctual. I hate to wait an awful lot of time, and I also hate to be waited on. Whenever I will run in late (we can't help but be late even if we left the house or somewhere and run into a traffic accident or something), I see to it that I inform the person I am meeting that I'll be late. That way, they would understand why I will be late.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
27 Mar 08
nope I plan to make sure I am where I need to be so that I am not late, I wrote an article about that as well
@michelyn (717)
• United States
26 Mar 08
I hate to be late for things. I also hate running around crazy trying to make it somewhere. So I plan ahead so that I can get somewhere at least 10 - 15 minutes early. My husband on the other hand, prefers to be fashionably late. He didn't use to be like that, but he's become more and more so. It's taking me some getting used to, but slowly I'm accomplishing it. It still drives me nuts at the exact time that I think we should be leaving and we aren't.
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
26 Mar 08
I am like you! I hate being late. I was born 507 weeks early so, I think it is deeply ingrained in my very being to be on time. I feel it is disrespectful to be late. It is like you are saying to the people you are making wait, "I am more important than you. My time is more precious. I am not sorry I was late. I just don't really care about you that much. Too bad...get over it!" Now, that is just my opinion. I don't mean to make anyone mad if they feel insulted by my opinion on this matter. I just think that I honor others by showing them that I care enough to show up to whatever on time. I take them seriously and I take their time seriously. I get really stressed and annoyed if I am running late. If I am even going to be 2 minutes late, which is always do to traffic when it happens, I will call my bosses ahead of time and let them know that I am stuck in traffic and am on my way. I will apologize for my tardiness in advance of actually being tardy. I am rarely late for anything. The only other reason I am ever late to something like a social gathering is if the person I am going with is late. Being late throws me off for the rest of the day because it automatically makes me cranky! LOL!
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Mar 08
I just hate being late to anything and as a result am so often too early. My husband was just the opposite he would wait until almost the moment then go and was usually at least ten or more minutes late. Not me its just too stressful. I am there when I said I would be or else. So I always start a bit early so if it be I will be early but better than being late. I think it is rather rude not to be on time when you made a particular appointment and the people have booked others accordingly.
@Sarah187 (90)
26 Mar 08
I also hate being late. But sometimes its hard to get out the door if something crops up to slow you down. I at least make sure I can call ahead or text to say I 'm going to be late to be polite- on the rare occasion that I am late that is!! I think its horrible to be left stood in the rain or at a bus stop waiting for someone so I wouldn't want to do it to someone else. In the case of work, I would rather call a full day sick than turn up late to get a grilling!! Unless you know your boss relly well and you know he will let you off!! Kids are the worst for making me late, I'm always rushing round last minute to find that shoe or mitten that suddenly vanished into no-where!
• India
26 Mar 08
hi i m new in here so hello everyone.i m very big kismat ka mara cause no matter how hard i try but i do end up getting late at place's like in exams or in parties or at work.i dont know wht's the problem but i do get late.i wake up on time and do stuff but still get late.wht about u guys' n gal's