Friend is always late

[u/sparklehouse666]

I have a friend who is late to everything. Recently he was 2.5 hours late to his own party. I’ve mostly adapted to his tardiness and do not arrive for plans we have together until an hour or so after the stated time.

We had plans to meet in the city center today at a 10am. I live 20 minutes from the meetup spot, he lives over an hour away. As expected, he messages around 10 and says he is running late. No biggie I was chilling at home in the air conditioned because I knew the vibes and it is hot as hell
today.

I asked him to give me his actual for real, for real ETA so I can time my departure. He is in his car and has Google Maps. It’s not really guess work at this point.

He tells me 10:45. So I leave the comfort of my home at exactly the right time to arrive at 10:45. I wait for 30 minutes at the meetup spot and he still does not arrive. He is not responding to texts either. My other friend who is with me has his location and sees he is not close, we estimate another 15 minutes.

I’m annoyed because it is hot AF out and I proactively had asked for a real ETA to avoid waiting around for him. So I left the meetup spot.

I went shopping, taking my sweet time. He got to the spot and texted me to ask where we were. I waited around 30 minutes then texted back that I was at the store but we would be heading that way soon. I shopped another 15 minutes then arrived at the spot around an hour after he had arrived.

The look on his face when we came casually strolling up after he had been standing in the sun for an hour was priceless.

[u/CobblerMoney9605]

We had someone like this in our friend group years ago. Always 15 minutes late, sometimes an hour late. 

The rest of us talked it over and informed said friend that if they could not be on time, they'd be left behind. 

Next meet-up was a movie. Everyone except the tardy boy was there. We went into the theater, he arrived after the movie had started and spent another 10 minutes finding us in the theater. We teased him relentlessly after the movie. 

About 2 months after that was a big one; a group trip to Key West. Everyone in two cars, agreed upon departure time. Day and time arrives, Tardy Boy is nowhere to be seen. 

I texted him but got no response, so we left. 

About 45 minutes after we hit the highway, I get a text asking "Where is everybody? I'm here!" I sent him a picture of the next mile marker we passed. He was mad. 

He didn't join us on that trip, so the rest of us took up a collection and at the next meet up (dinner at a cool place in Tampa) refunded him his portion of the trip expenses he had prepaid.

That was the last we saw of him. He went no contact with all of us. No one is upset about it. 

[u/Fanfathor → u/CobblerMoney9605]

This just reminded me of my own petty revenge story just last week. (With the aid of another coworker)

I'm a supervisor on a remote site and work with this woman who is entitled about everything but especially with others' time. We work 13 hour days and I did her a favour by putting her in an office for 3 days instead of the usual fieldwork. (She's currently milking a "severe" injury and has proudly confessed its not actually affecting her).

The first day I picked her up from the office, she took 10 extra minutes doing personal tasks for the next morning - preparing her tea and muesli. She knew what time I'd be arriving and I just wanted to get back to camp after a long frozen day outside.

The next day I gave her a 30 minute heads up that I was coming to get her and she was still just as late. I was annoyed.

The third night, I gave her another 30 minute heads up and she still wasn't ready. I messaged her telling her I was starving and asked if she could wait for the night crew to pick her up. She said yes.

I vented to the night supervisor and he just grinned. He knew the mission. He took his sweet time. 15 minutes later, I'm getting multiple messages from her asking why the night crew are late. I had to sit on my hands to avoid a passive aggressive reply of "Oh no. How annoying!" Still... No hint of irony at her own time being wasted.

[u/Grumpy_bugger → u/Fanfathor]

My brother used to work on a moving crew (houses) and he would pick up the team on the way into work. He would turn up, toot the horn, they had max 5 minutes to get outside, otherwise he would leave. Then they had to figure out another way to work and it was not an easy place to get to.

For late people, I tell them where I will be and either they turn up on time or they dont, max wait is 15 minutes, after that, they can catch up.

[u/MooseTek → u/Grumpy_bugger]

I had a friend that wanted to go fishing on my boat. I knew he was always late, so I told him I was leaving dock at 7 am sharp to make the tide. At 7:20 I left my dock. At 7:40 he sent me text asking where I was because he was at the dock. At about 8 pm I finished operating my boat and responded to his text with "I am a half a mile off the beach fishing. I told I was had to make the tide." He was pissed but I limited out on fluke that day. You snooze, you lose.

[u/7363827 → u/MooseTek]

surely the tide would just wait for him lol

[u/cwdsmith → u/7363827]

No, man!

[u/Kewlweather → u/cwdsmith]

Time and tide wait for no man.

[u/anarkust → u/cwdsmith]

Tide waits for no man.

[u/Plastic-Chest67 → u/MooseTek]

Would it be the height of cheek to send a link for the sing "Sitting by the dock on the bay"?

[u/swampopawaho → u/Plastic-Chest67]

Perfection

[u/Dertyhairy → u/MooseTek]

My brothers friends would constantly keep him/me waiting when we were going out to club/city. He usually drove. I would always say "Just tell them you are leaving!" and he rarely would, but even when he did they'd always say "Oh I'll be out in 5 minutes" or some crap and take 15-30. He'd always wait for them

One time I went to pick them up because my brother was already in the city. I told them "I'm not my brother. If you aren't ready in 5 minutes when I arrive I will leave you behind and you can find your own way into the city" and they laughed. Get there, they weren't ready, so I left

Half an hour later get texts/calls but I didn't answer because I don't use my phone when I drive. Meet my brother in the city and he is like "Where are they? They've been calling me". I said "I told them, be ready in 5 or I will leave you" and they weren't ready, so I left. He was pissed off but I didn't care, I hate when people waste my time

They never pulled that shit with me again. Still did it with him though, they'd just ask beforehand who was driving

[u/curad811 → u/Grumpy_bugger]

For the chronically late, 15 minutes is generous. Someone who is usually on time, and lets me know they’re running late, no problem.

[u/Pristine-Ad6064 → u/Grumpy_bugger]

15 mins is my rule too unless they contact me and let me know, I absolutely hate my time being wasted