If you let people down they end up just thinking that you are unreliable, That ends up with a decaying amount of respect you get from them. When they think of something of great oppertunity that requires reliable people - heck you are the last person they think of. So we must suffer the consequences of our choices. The chronically late end up being the chronically forgotten. Noneone is so good that they can survive without the respect from others and we limit our own potentual by the way we treat others.

There can be a cure. I once invited a chronic late person to a beer and prawn night that was not occurring. Built up in his mind the attributes of the attending strippers, made the appointment and stood across the road while he paced nervously waiting, waiting. He tried to ring the mobile 6 times in 5 minutes. After 30 minutes he gave up and left. Later when he accosted me about it, I explained to him what it was like always waiting for him. No phone call to explain the delay. With mobile phones these days, lateness is just rude, inconsiderant and pure bad manners.. and no, he has never been late again.

Jeff, It's because they are self centred ars#hol*s!

Sadly i have been fighting this battle with my chronically get there late wife for the best part of 25yrs. I have tried to combat it to some success by hiding invitations and telling her that it starts an hour before it actually does. The excuses range from its fashionable to be late,though this has just about run its course to nobody will be there yet, i could never understand that one,why would they put a time on the invo then ,i say.I have two female children aged 13 and 18 the eldest is very puntual but the youngest has adopted the evil ,get there when ime goddamn gooden ready gene.Help me jeff,apart from excorcism there must be a cure.

Hello Jeff, re being on time . It is very hard to understand this phenomenon but it is a very annoying one. It can not be understood completely by people who do not suffer from it, so I too struggle to understand it. I do not have a fail safe cure, as there is probably not a known cure available, the religious may pray with not much success , or the irreligious may give them some of their own medicine & make an appointment with them & make them wait ! Mostly I think it is just plain BAD MANNERS & inconsideration of others.

sometimes being late is unavoidable, but rarely. It is a matter of pride for me, and if on a rare occasion i am delayed, these mobile phones are handy gadgets. It's odd that rudeness can just become a habit.

MizJasper! good one ! and probably well focased on the values of the individual. You obviously know your men and what they will be attracted to! Actually really funny thinking about the situation -did you get the idea from a movie or think of it yourself?

The mad hatter is a delayed response 'i'm late I'm late" http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice- VII.html is a very nice little bit of conversation with the following as a teaser -"`Have some wine,' the March Hare said in an encouraging tone. Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. `I don't see any wine,' she remarked. `There isn't any,' said the March Hare. `Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily. `It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Hare. " I rest my case?

What drives the 'perennially late' (PL) is the insidious habit of being inconsiderate. It is the worst manifestation of bad manners. Often those close to the PL are 'enablers' - they adjust, compensate, and make apologies, or they give the PL what the PL is really seeking : attention and fuss. "Oh dear, look at me, I'm always so busy and in demand", sys the PL. Jeff's friend is implementing the only solution : cut them loose, let them make their own way and their own excuses and simpering apologies. We all know that nobody believes them. Personally, I ruthlessly and permanently remove all contact details of PL's from my mobile phone and Christmas card list. I have not budgeted any of my dwindling, precious hours to wait for them to arrive, respond, etc. Click. Beep. Gone.

That does me no good abundance i married a PL ...Hang on remove from phone ,christmas list,mmmmmm your onto something here.