These days, it seems like everyone's always late. It's become normal not only to expect, but to know that almost everyone will show up at least 15 minutes after the time they were supposed to be somewhere.
And while research indicates that there are some legitimate psychological and physiological explanations for people's lateness (some people actually perceive time differently, for example, something that's been attributed to certain personality characteristics, like thrill-seekers and anxious people), for those people who are always on time, dealing with their perpetually late counterparts can be a real pain in the ass.
So, dilly-dalliers: Please note these very real struggles that punctual people face every time you show up late.
1. Calculating the perfect fake time to tell your friends, so you won't have to wait on them.
If we want you to show up at 10, we're telling you to meet us at 9:30. Deal with it.
2. Always having to be the one who texts first, "I'm already here."
And so you know, we usually don't text that until we've been waiting for at least 10 minutes after the agreed-upon time.
3. Being the first person to show up on time at a reservation you didn't even make.
Now the hostess doesn't even believe there is a reservation at all.
4. Having to tell the host or hostess at a restaurant that you're waiting for someone.
And then just sitting there awkwardly. Alone.
5. Holding a seat for someone and feeling like the biggest asshole in the world.
Sorry, you can't sit there, because "my friends" are coming. Eventually. Promise.
6. Watching tables at restaurants get taken as you stand there waiting for your party.
If they got here on time, you could be eating already.
7. Feeling like you have to order something while you wait, so you order a cocktail.
Then three. Now you're drunk.
8. Pretending you're busy with something on your phone as you wait.
9. Checking your Facebook...
10. Then Twitter...
11. Don't forget about Instagram...
12. You've even resorted to LinkedIn.
Pretty much the only time you'll sign in.
13. Frantically telling the waiter that "People are coming."
You're not getting stood up... they're, like, only 10 minutes away.
14. If it gets really bad, you start pretending to text someone.
Yes, in dire times, we start having conversations with ourselves.
15. Starting to hypothesize why this person is always late...
How hard is it to just show up on time for once?
16. Do they just not care about your friendship?
17. No, no. They're just very absent-minded.
They always seem to try to be on time.
18. Having to text the dreaded "Where are you???" to the late person, making you look like a needy freak.
19. Beginning to panic about what happened to this person...
Maybe they died!
20. Once they arrive, they hastily apologize, and you have to pretend that it's no big deal.
But it was really the most annoying moment of your life.
21. Starting to think that maybe you should just be late too, so that you don't feel this angst anymore.
22. But realizing that it's just too hard for you to be that way.
You're always on time, and you know what? You're proud of it.
23. You're doing the right thing; the perpetually late are the ones who should change.
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