If you're early you're on time...

If you're on time you're late...

And if you're late... well I always say you better be dead.

So a bit about me. I'm 34. And I'm also in the military, so that has something to do with my penchant for timeliness. But even before the military, I was where I was supposed to be at the right time. If I said I was going to call at 4pm, I would watch my clock and at exactly 4pm call. I always strive to be 15 minutes early, and that time usually ends up being my "appointment time" so I try and be 15 minutes early to that, so I end up being 30 minutes early if not earlier.

So being on time is a big deal for me. Especially when it comes to certain events. Like the movies, the theater, the symphony. Especially the last two. I find it extremely rude to show up late (like 30 minutes) to an event. It is rude to your fellow people in the audience, and it is rude to the cast on stage.

So tonight the show was supposed to be at 7pm. It didn't start until like 7:05pm I think, which kind of irked me. OK, not kind of, it did. But maybe their clock was different.

So the show is supposed to be starting, and people are still filtering in to their seats. Not just a few, a lot. With their drinks and snacks in hand (I'll save that for another post, my thoughts on that).

And then like 30 minutes later, a guy shows up and sits down. Only he is in the wrong seat, because a few minutes later a couple shows up. The nice side of me says I should be forgiving, that I don't know what caused them to be late, maybe traffic due to an accident or something. I dunno. But if not, really. What possesses people to show up that late to a show? To not be in their seat at the right time? Arrogance? It isn't generational, as the couple who was late is older then me.

So really don't know what the point was, other then to rant. If you agree with me great. If not... :ahem:

 

I totally feel this way. Not in the service myself, but raised by a Dad who was an Army officer, late is not acceptable. How early from me depends on the situation, but late shouldn't ever happen. I think for me it's part nature, and part Dad. Responsible is punctual and prepared in my world.

Try not to stress though. If you're there and on time, they're the ones under stress.

 

I'm not nor ever have been in the service, but I'm a stickler for being early. When I go to work I'm always atleast 15 minutes early. I hate arriving and going straight to work. I like to relax a little before starting. When I make appointments, interviews, meeting with friends, I'm always the first one there.

 

Another Stickler here for being early when asked to be 'on time.' Punctuality reflects a respect for other's time or efforts (such as a play) and has always been a pet peeve of mine when others show up late for dinner reservations, appointments, meetings, etc.

I see this every weekend at our church services which begin promptly on-time at 9:30 and 11:00am ( Livestream commences so we are compelled to begin on-time). Every weekend we will have hundreds of people streaming in the doors 10...15...20...even 30 minutes late. I used to get miffed by this but I came to celebrate these folks at least choosing to come to church ( on time or not) unlike the vast majority of the locals.

People only really make the effort to be on time if it (the event) is important to them and if there are consequences to their tardiness.

 

I am also a punctual person, I like to arrive 15 minutes early just in case and if I saw I will call at I call at 3:59 or 4:00. Being on time show you respect others and their time.

 

Your comments (if you're early, you're on time) reminded me of a few senior NCOs I had while in the military. There have also been many times when I would also tell the same thing to Soldiers. Its a great rule to live by.

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To me, or from my point of view, mostly as a long retired leo. It was always important to be 15 mins early. This time was expected and customary as pass-a-long, brieffing/debreiffing time. But being on a 24 hr relief system where you can't leave a post until someone shows up to releave teaches you respect for the other guy. I think it's an honorable trait.

 

When I started working pipeline, the saying was "If you are five minutes early you are a half hour late."

I have always been an early type guy, so it didn't affect me any, but it didn't take long to see that it was more than just a funny turn of phrase.

 

The Navy permanently drilled into the the importance of promptness, and of being early. I can be ultra Type A about that. But I'm also a procrastinator and find myself always putting off to the last minute stuff that just isn't that vital. I suppose that part is normal but if it weren't for the military, I'd probably be that way about everything and likely wouldn't be here typing this now.

 

I picked it up in my ROTC days. But the sentiment behind it was always something I lived by.

I had tickets to the Symphony one night, and I thought the show was at 8. So I started getting ready at 6. When I got done showering/shaving and looked at my phone, I had my alert for the show starting at 7. I misread. No way I was going to be on time, in fact I would have been 30 minutes late. Not wanting to miss a piece of the show, and already a bit pissy, I just decided to skip. I went online and found a ticket for the show the next night.



I'd be real happy if the venue didn't allow people to take their seats until break, like intermission.

 

That is so me.

 

I would have done the same.

 

When I taught middle school, I always got to school 30 minutes early. It was my time to get ready for the day. I also got the best parking space.

 

I'll show up to work anywhere from a half to full hour early to work. Traffic is never as bad as I think, but it does give me time to settle in and get ready for the day. I'm also not the kind of guy who enjoys the morning. Meaning I don't get up, watch the news, have a cup of coffee, I'm a get up and go kind of guy.

 

I'm another one for early = on time. It shows respect for the person (or event) that I'm meeting or the person that is meeting me. And I see the same with our church services... so many think that 15 minutes late = on time... week after week the same people. You would think that they would realize to start leaving the house sooner. /sigh
Doctor's appts particularly irk me in that my appt time means only that I will be seen sometime that day well after my appt. time. I'm sorry, but you can't be having an "emergency" every single hour of every single day.

 

My wife and kids hate it because they are always a leave right on time kind of people. I have to leave at least 30 minutes early of getting there 15 minutes early. If I have to be somewhere in an hour, I try to be on my way 1:45 prior. I don't mind waiting and since peoples driving has gone downhill, it gives me time to cool off and relax from the drive. Since I've been married though, we are always 5-10 minutes late and it bothers the crap out of me. I usually tell them a time that's a half hour earlier so I know we will at least be on time.

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Being from the Baby-Boomer gen, my idea of 'on-time' differs from those born in my sons' generation....
Here's an interesting short article that seems in-line with my own informal observations...
Millennials significantly more likely to show up late

 

I'm at work at least 45 minutes before start time, and if I'm going to meet someone, I'm always the first one there. In my trucking career, I missed two appointment times, one due to weather, the other because my dispatcher thought I could make it across Chicago in 15 minutes during afternoon rush hour. If a show starts at 5, I'm there by 4:30 at the LATEST! I'm completely with you on punctuality...

 

I'm with you 110%. Was never in the service, but my Dad was USN in WWII. He was always at least 15 minutes early to any event. It rubbed off on me. 29 years on the Job only reinforced it. Now if I could only get Herself on the bandwagon things would be great.
Thank you for your service(Army Dad, Blue Cord type).