"Many people are out there labouring under the impression that lateness is always terribly rude. I am here to tell you this is totally wrong. There are situations when, yes, it is rude. There are situations when it basically doesn't matter. But there are also situations when being late is actually the height of good manners and decorum. If you are invited to dinner, especially by a person who you can sense is an inexperienced cook or host, you should endeavour to be late."
"But, honestly, if your host is a 25-year-old who has sent you a message saying, I'm going to try making this :) and then attached a picture of an elaborate recipe with two separate kinds of molasses, then I would say half an hour is probably best. Their oven gloves will have caught fire and they'll have had to sort that out. They'll forget to give themselves time to shower. They will have started a step and realised they're missing key equipment"
"If you are going on a date with someone who has a huge crush on you, you should arrive 10 minutes late to give them time to calm down and sort themselves out. If you're meeting a new mum with no baby attached you should be 15 minutes late to give her a rare window of time with her own thoughts or her book."
Lateness is not uniformly rude and can serve different social functions depending on context. Arriving late to a dinner hosted by an inexperienced cook helps the host recover from mishaps and reduces their stress. Small, intentional delays can soothe an anxious date, grant a new mother private time, or gently challenge overly rigid companions. Excessive punctuality for airport travel can be unnecessary, while strategic lateness when ending a relationship can shape the other person's lasting impression. Social awareness and intent determine whether lateness is discourteous, inconsequential, or actually considerate.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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