[954Stealth]

I always strive to be on time as well and encourage others to do the same. I see it as a respect issue. That said, I would like to hear someone from Europe Persian countries or South America chime in on the concept of punctuality in their culture. Here in the US we put a lot of value in time and production and efficiency, etc. and the punctuality phenomenon is a byproduct of that. It is my understanding that being "late" is normal and, in fact, can be a bit of a surprise being that their cultures are typically more laid back and private. It makes it seem like you are desperate to see the person and this can be taken as slightly offensive.

So, while I do value punctuality myself, it is important if someone is late to maybe consider their culture before reacting harshly.