"Time isn't the main thing. It's the only thing." However, Reddit user LateSchlate began to think that one of her friends probably wouldn't realize this if she didn't take drastic action. The woman was constantly late to all of their meetings!
So, the Redditor told her to be punctual if she wanted to preserve their relationship. At first, it looked like the message got through, but when the two of them agreed to have brunch, the friend reverted to her own personal time zone, and all hell broke loose.
Time is one of (if not) the most precious resources we have
Image credits: benzoix (not the actual photo)
So this woman decided to stop giving her friend a pass for being late everywhere they go
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: freepik (not the actual)
Image credits: LateSchlate
The actual number might be different in other cultures, but Americans believe the woman would have been late even if she arrived only 15 minutes after the agreed time
A study of 3,000 American adults discovered that "early is on time," with more than half admitting they consider themselves "obsessed" with timekeeping.
The Redditor's friend got offended because she didn't wait for her for half an hour, but the survey revealed that anything past 13 minutes is usually considered "late," and 56% of respondents said they plan ahead to ensure they are never running behind schedule.
However, the data also revealed that seven in ten friend groups have a person who is notorious for being late (even though less than a quarter admitted they are "that friend").
And, on average, it only takes being late five times for people to be upset with you.
Many tried the tactic proposed by the Redditor's friend — 47% have even sneakily told a friend that a meeting time was earlier than it was, so if they showed up late, they were actually on time. But, the "solution" is questionable at best since it addresses the result of the problem and not its roots.
The study found the most popular excuses for being late include blaming the traffic (37%), a morning alarm not going off (33%), and the car not starting (32%).
There's a good chance the friend isn't fond of her old habit either, as Americans typically feel anxious (43%), annoyed (36%), and concerned (28%) if it's looking like they're going to be late somewhere. But, of course, that doesn't give her the right to repeatedly disrespect others like this.
People said the woman had every right to enforce her boundaries
