Punctuality

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The development of time measuring technology has been touted by some scholars as a major factor in human development. Having universally recognized methods for measuring years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds facilitates complex social interations and behaviours. It allows for precision in many things and I believe is a pre-requisite for many scientific calculations and procedures.

So why are some people so fracking useless when it comes to using chronological technology? In other words, why are some people always late?

My wife says I let this bother me too much, but it is a behaviour that I find rude, disrespectful, unprofessional, and downright ignorant. As a teacher, nothing gets under my skin more than the douchenozzle who wanders into class every day* 10 minutes late with a coffee in hand and a sick "sorry" on his/her lips. If my administrators would back me up, I'd lock these bastards out in a heartbeat. Then they ask stupid questions that I already addressed in the first ten minutes of class.

Am I alone in feeling this way? Do you feel that people should make an effort to be on time? Is it a sign of respect to you?

For me, if I say I'm going to meet someone at the SouthSide McDonalds at 7:00am, I'm there at 6:50am to make darn sure that even if my watch is slow, I'm still not inconveniencing my friend. It drives my wife nuts when I insist on being 20 minutes early to church or a movie, but again, it is my way of showing respect for others**, as well as securing a decent seat

Thoughts?

*The occasional bad day is one thing, I get that, we all have kids who puke at 8:05 in the morning or traffic jams that screw up EVERYONE'S morning. I'm talking the chronic offenders.

** and in the case of church, God.

 

In my family, if you aren't ten minutes early, you are late.

 

I'm on the fence about this one. While I agree that chronic lateness tends to lean into lack of consideration and disrespect territory, I'm also am a bit irritated by hyper-anal deadline mongers. I'm rarely late for things, but when I am, I don't appreciate being treated like I've let the world down or that we'll all die in a firey inferno because of it. Likewise, I don't enjoy waiting around for Johnny and Jenny to show up someplace until after they summon the energy to get around to it after they stop for a taco and a slurpee first.

So I wish in parallel that the late people would get it together and snap out of their daze and that the on-time people would lighten up a little bit. No one should really have their will bent either way.

 

I agree that recurrent lateness is disrespectful and unprofessional, though I think it is more a sign of indifference or lack of interest (or perhaps contempt) rather than ignorance. Most of the time anyway. I knew a guy who would constantly be at least 2-3 minutes late because he had to run back from two buildings away just to get into class, though I believe cases like these are supposed to be discussed with the professor early on.

The above explains why I am usually late for church, gatherings with relatives or unplanned meetups, sometimes for as long as several days because I travel. Most other times I try to be at least 10 minutes early.

 

OMFG! This thread started 3½ hours ago ... DAMN I'M LATE!

I don't like to be late for dinner. Other than that I don't really care much about punctuality. Although I do show up to any scheduled appointment on time -- I just don't schedule very many. According to my parents I'm ... ohhh ... 30 years late to church.

 

I have an answer for you, but you may not like it, because the language is coloured by our cultural perspective. If you told a Chinese, or other Asian person: "You copied this from someone else precisely. You're a copycat!"
They would answer: "Why thank you, but the copy wasn't that perfect."
Since creativity is not valued, 'copycat' would not be seen as an insult.

While I'm a guilty-as-charged chronic offender in tardiness, I can see the point of view you hold. For what it's worth, I wish I were more punctual like you, but I just don't have it in me.
In my personal experience, people who are good at being punctual are often very utilistic. They see value in things that offer a real benefit, but prefer not to engage in activities that don't have any beneficial result. With this in mind, I wouldn't want to give up the traits and values that I hold dear to become more productive and punctual.

If you grew up in a more down-to-earth, utilistic surrounding, then you'll feel a need to justify your own activities, by convincing yourself that it's socially 'useful' in some small way.
I grew up with toys that were pirate ships, medieval knights and spaceships. I watched Star Trek, other sci-fi and historical fantasies. I enjoyed stuff about alien planets, different cultures and moral dilemmas that I would never face in my own lifetime. I never went to church. I wasn't from a wealthy or even average family, but I did have a lot of useless, unproductive fun growing up.
Sometimes I'd visit families that had none of that. They'd play with toys that were police boats, ambulances and fire stations. They'd watch Formula 1, football, game shows, and they's love it all. If it wasn't a representation of something firmly rooted in reality, they didn't see the value or enjoyment.

Living in China, I encounter a lot of people that don't seem to be very creative or imaginative. They follow mediocrity with vigor, making me think they'd probably make better Americans than most Americans. Middle-class mediocrity is very tedious in my eyes, though I can appreciate why some families prefer this way of life.

For me, the political difference between right & left is not about homosexuality, abortion, religion, or even wealth. It's about busybodies vs. slackers.

Yes, I am late for work more than once in a while, but it's an integral part of who I am, and perhaps you can understand that my lateness wasn't intended as an insult to the way you choose to lead your life. I'm happy and proud that I'm a scatterbrain, that my mind wanders toward seemingly unproductive distractions, and this results in arriving late often. From my point of view, you busybodies need to restrain your anger and eagerness to be our judge and executioner.

I wouldn't label myself as an absolute nemesis of lateness, because I also don't want to be late for scheduled appointments. I value reliability as much as most people, and wouldn't want to cause others inconvenience. But I simply wouldn't schedule a 7am meeting at MacDonalds in the first place, because I wouldn't be able to pull myself out of bed *that early* for anything that wasn't entirely unavoidable or vital.

On the whole, I try to limit my social obligations as much as possible, for scheduled me-time, to explore the wonderful uselessness of my scatterbrain. It's getting more and more difficult now I live in China, because foreigners are like minor celebrities here. And my wife + in-laws are compulsive busybodies, though by Chinese standards they're positively relaxed. Everyone takes life deadly serious here, heheheh.

 

So from what I can gather from the above post, coin is blaming his chronic tardiness on Star Trek and the fact that he considers himself to be creative. OK then.

Anyway, I can handle people being late as long as it's the exception for them and not the rule.

 

Ad hominem, charming. What in my post made you think I blamed Star Trek? Or was that your attempt to get a laugh from an audience? That would imply that you're not trying to reply to me or discuss the topic, but only score points by ridiculing me. No big surprise there - I just want it out in the open. Let's be creative & adjust your words, shall we:

Just out of curiosity: Is LKD a teacher getting annoyed at pupils, and wanting to keep them out of the classroom if they're late? Or is he an employee getting annoyed at co-workers, eager to partake in their disciplining as if he is the boss? I read about teacher and classroom, but also about arriving with a coffee in hand. Do American children drink lots of coffee?

 

Oh, please Coin ... it wasn't just an attempt.

 

I'm glad you're amused. And I apologize for attempting to provide a serious answer to the TC's topic. You guys have me beaten with regards to not taking things seriously. The biggest joke is you guys, keeping the Boards small by stifling discussion.
No wonder this place is deader than roadkill! Enjoy your verbal masturbation with eachother, and sorry for being such a moodkiller. I didn't know what I was walking into.

 

In answer, Coin, it's both. It is disruptive to the class when people are chronically late. It also shows where the student's priorities are -- coffee over getting the education that he is paying for. Now, the priorities of a student are his business, but these are the students who, at the end of the semester, are begging to see me outside of class time so they can boost their grades.

I also remember working at a restaurant. The chronically late staff caused the rest of us to work twice as hard because of their bad attitudes. When someone's behaviour screws up the rest of the staff, I would say those staff members who make the effort to be dependable have a legitimate complaint. I don't care if it's "a part of who they are" or not. If it's "a part of who I am" to greet customers with a cheery "Good afternoons, you smelly bastards, what the **** can I get you jerks today?" I will lose my job. IMHO, chronic lateness should be corrected by management or result in job loss.

 

OK, but you didn't talk about this kind of behaviour, only the lateness. If students or employees get themselves into trouble for lateness and other accompanying behaviour, then the consequences are entirely their own fault. Arriving a few minutes late is also a different order of magnitude than waiting staff cussing and insulting customers. Try to see things in proportion. I've had busybodies on my tail with exactly your attitude, exaggerating my transgressions in order to emphasize that I'm a slacker, and it would gratify them to see me punished unduly harshly. The few times they arrive late or whatever, it's not like I take the opportunity to humiliate them.

 

I should be more clear about the restaurant people: I'm not talking 15 minutes late (which still merits action if it's a chronic thing) but 1 hour late, on a regular basis. That sort of thing has an impact on co-workers.

To me, it's about thinking about the effects of one's actions on other people. As near as I can tell, the chronically late simply don't care about others at all.

 

Coin, I forgot the " " smilie after my post to show I was just poking some fun. Frankly, I had a hard time following how your comments justified/rationalized tardiness. It just seemd to me that you were saying you have a certain lifestyle, and that lifestyle includes being late, so that should be acceptable. I happen to disagree.

I don't know if this makes my previous comment better or worse in your mind, but hopefully it gives it a bit of clarification.

 

Lighten up bro, he wasn't ridiculing you, jest making a joke in general. That's Splunge. It put a smile on my face whem I read it, then I seen your response. You weren't mood killing. Splunge lightens the mood on topics. It's one of theings I like most on these boards. That and detailed info on the IWD2 engine.

On topic, I try to make an effort to be on time. I am 99% of the time. But if I'm late, I don't really care if someone else doesn't like it. Even if its my boss. If they have something to say about it, I will instantly fire back at them. Most of the time, it shuts them up as most people who need to point out what they perceive as failings in others have no backbone when confronted themselves about their own actions. Eff them I say. It's my life, I'll do what I want with it.... You only get one shot at life....enjoy it.

 

I don't think anyone has NEVER been late -- circumstances beyond our control sometimes pop up. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the person who is NEVER on time, who cannot be counted on at all to show up when needed or required.

I personally don't care if it isn't something that effects me. People who are late for church, for example, don't bother me as long as they don't disrupt the services. People who are late for a movie, same thing -- all I expect is that they sit down quietly and do their best not to block anyone else's view.

But if I'm running a class, everyone knows that it starts at (for example) 9:00am sharp. I start giving directions and notes at that time. I refuse to wait around until people feel like coming in, and I'm for damn sure not going to catch them up every day because they were too busy ... doing whatever .... to make it on time. If you take it seriously and want to pass, be here and I'll help you to the best of my ability. F*** around and act like my planning isn't worth sh**, and I'm not lifting a finger to help you.

If there's a camping trip, let's say*, and we all agree to meet at the Doughnut Shop at 7:00, don't act like you're the only one in the world who has a hard time waking up early. Don't make the rest of us stand around pulling our ***** for 30 minutes while you listen to your favorite Journey album one last time. What makes you the centre of the universe, for whom everyone must wait? These folks are the first to claim they are not being respected when the rest of the group leaves without them -- well, where the **** is their respect?

In this day of cell phone technology, there is no good reason not to fire off a text or a call saying "Hey, I'm gonna be late , sorry, it's out of my hands" or even " sorry I can't make it, you go ahead without me and I'll catch you next time!" To leave people hanging is unbelieveably disrespectful in my book.

Aaagh! Rant done.

 

I agree in the context of formal scheduled events like school and work, actually, FWIW. But there is an evil flip side to the coin on your camping example.

He is the guy who expects - no, demands - your utter and abject compliance with his 'group scheduling.' If you are 2 minutes late for the Official Progression of the Unit to the Vehicles for Pre-Departure Engine Ignition and Mirror Adjusting at 0800, you will find him grimly monitoring his watch (synchronized that morning with the World Clock at 0600 GMT) with an "I am SO pissed" look and stature when you roll up, his khaki shorts smartly pressed the night before in preparation for the journey. If you're lucky, he will still allow you to go with the group, though you will have to agree to the terms and conditions of the new amended travel agreement that dictates that the convoy travel at an average speed 1.006 times greater than was originally planned in order to make up for the lost two minutes. Because, after all, if we arrive at the campsite at 1902 instead of 1900, the world will end.

That guy I can't tolerate, and I'm pretty sure he's the unreasonable one.

 

Yikes! Remind me not to go camping with LKD....