Delayed by a train

I am a naturally prompt person.  I hate to walk in somewhere late or just make it in time.  I like to be 5-10 minutes early for everything.  I can't figure out if it is a symptom of where I work, but NO ONE is ever on time for anything.  It makes me crazy.  You know what I decided to do?

When I'm running the meeting, event or activity...I start on time.  If you come in late, too bad for you, I'm not stopping to 'catch you up'.  Come in quietly, pick up your packet and sit down.  Do not interrupt to say why you were late - I don't care.  Unless there's a zombie apocalypse or a herd of stampeding hippos, I really don't see a reason for you being late without notice.  Don't ask the people around you to tell you what's going on either, now they can't hear what's going on.

I mean, it's simple.  Be on time.  How hard is that?

My roommate in college was habitually late.  I always believed (and still do) that it's because nothing bad had ever happened to her because of being late.  She would go to class at least 5 minutes past the time it started and sometimes as much as 30 minutes after.  The professors never said anything to her, just let her sign in and gave her the assignments and took her papers.  I know some professors now lock the door at the start of class and you can't come in.  Good for them!  She showed up at my wedding late - she just had time to get ready before we had to walk down the aisle.  Oh yeah, she showed up at the bridal shower late too...and she had the cake. *rolls eyes*  Then she got a full time job.  She was always late and her bosses called her on it.  She said that when she got caught in traffic, she couldn't let them know she was going to be late.  So they bought her a cellphone...and paid for it.  Apparently she assumed that it was permission to be late ALL the time, because that's what happened.  She would leave later, get caught in more traffic and arrive later.  But it was okay because she called.  The last I knew, she was still running late, I don't know because she's so far behind.  I assume at this point that she's approximately 5 years behind schedule.

Morale of the story?  If you're coming to MY meeting, be on time or I'll leave YOU behind.