punctuality slob

I've always tried to be punctual with meetings, appointments and all. But it's dawned on me that these days, that we've turned into a generation of punctuality slobs.

When I meet my friends these days, it's almost an unspoken rule that if you say,"Meet at 6.00." that means meet 6.20, or sometimes I am left waiting and wandering around the shopping malls for a good 45 minutes, in which I've already seen everything in the shops. So what turns out to be a shopping trip is kinda redundant.

With a couple of girlfriends, I've actually factored in 20 minutes to actual meeting time and normally set off later, only to be on time.

I don't know, but I believe we were a lot more keeping to time before. Now with mobiles, it's a 2 second call,"I'll be late, you go ahead."

Or a text that says, "Running late, be there in 30 minutes."

And it annoys me. I mean, if we had agreed to meet at 6.00, why can't you start off earlier? Isn't my time as valuable as yours? I don't know, call me old school. It's not just a matter of informing or inconveniencing someone. It's showing respect to the other person.

And the slob has infected his malaise to the mob.

The classic example -- waiting for a doctor's appointment. On my appointment card it clearly states 11.50am. I expect to be in the doctor's office within a 10-15 minute plus/minus waiting period. But oh noooo. It's more like a 2-3 hour wait. And when it comes to you turn and you're not around, because you've been holding it in thinking the person before you will take 5, not 50minutes, they'll happily move on to the next patient. Which gives you another 30 minute waiting time, if you're lucky.

Or the perennial complaint that Chinese wedding dinners start late, just because everyone expects it to be so, and so everyone comes later. With people my generation, you'll think they've had enough of waiting at chinese wedding dinners since they were kids, and arrive early. Somehow, at age 30, they all morph to be what their parents used to be, arriving late at 8.30, when the invite card says, "Cocktails will be served at 7pm sharp, dinner will commence at 7.30pm".

Which brings me to my (hopeful) point, that when I get married, I'm not having a dinner.

As if life isn't already one long big wait. Waiting for that perfect opportunity to come, waiting for that perfect love, or waiting to go home to be with family. So if we've set a time to meet each other, I urge you, please make it on time.