Chronic Lateness, A Medical Conditon?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2402902/Chronic-lateness-Man-57-whos-late-diagnosed-medical-condition.html
I have never understood what I call "late" people but surely it cannot be a medical condition. Just rude, lazy un thinking inconsiderate eejits if you ask me. I'm amazed they keep jobs/friends at all.

[jeffa]

TTT, I couldn't agree more! The old cliché that, if you're on time for a meeting, you're late, is absolutely accurate. I would never expect anyone to wait for me if I was late...

[maggiebee]

Punctuality is the politeness of kings. Being late implies you think your time is more valuable than other people's.

[ChillDoubt]

This was discussed on here a month or two back, involving the same gentleman.
The general concensus was that he had obviously never been late for a meal.

Utter horlicks!

[anneasquith]

I did work with someone who was always late, but she did suffer from chronic OCD.

[ToraToraTora]

I have fairly mild OCD for a few things but I cannot stand being late, I'd rather be and hour early than a minute late.

[jno]

if he sets out 11 hours early for the cinema and still gets there late, I'd be suspecting a medical problem of some sort too; that huge a delay can't be accounted for by laziness or rudeness. I have no idea what sort of problem, and of course the Mail hasn't bothered to fill in the details, but it would be interesting to know exactly what he did in that 11 hours and when.

[emmie]

chronically stupid, that they can't get themselves into gear early enough to get there on time.

[Sqad]

Why not? One has to have a medical diagnosis for most character deficiencies today,other than being a fat lazy slob.

Well done to the diet of psychiatry at Ninewells.

[emmie]

i dislike people who are late, valid reasons i understand, but it doesn't take much to make a call.

[dunnitall]

Rather than a medical condition I would say a character trait. I've known family members who are not on time for things or cut it to the wire, it's just in their nature, the opposite to people like me who are punctual and would hate to be late for anything.

[pixie373]

I agree with jno, there's certainly something wrong. That is excessive. I also don't do "late". I'm wondering whether all character traits are literally medical conditions anyway?

[emmie]

i have the same problem, a number of friends and one or two relatives couldn't get anywhere on time if their lives depended on it, they prevaricate, make excuses, but honestly they can shift themselves if they really wanted to, i hate waiting around for others. Always early or at least on time.

[youngmafbog]

I have a real problem with lateness. Not mine others. I hate late appointments and I hate waiting on someone who cant be bothered to be on time. I have left before now if someone more than 5 mins late without calling/texting me why.

It is simply plain rude, inconsiderate and selfish. but of course everything is always someone else s fault these days so here we now have a medical condition, just like alll those fat people have large bones or a genetic condition that makes them stuff their faces stupid.

[mikey4444]

More drivel from the DM ! People that are continually late are just lazy and inconsiderate. I have two nieces that are always late because they stay in bed most of the day and then have to spend at least an hour in the bathroom, while the rest of us mugs are waiting in the car with the engine running ! If they were my daughters, I would just leave them behind every time...perhaps they would learn then.

[mikey4444]

ymb...with you all the way here ! If you and I can be on time, then everybody else can be as well !

[jake-the-peg]

Hmmm

I think I see a lot of 'why can't you just be like me?' thinking going on here!

And yes I'm personally very punctual.

However I'm aware that some people with ADHD and similar conditions have real difficulties with the concept of time and unless you've met and lived with people like that it's quite hard to understand.

They really don't 'get' time like the rest of us do - so they might look at their watch and see that they need to be somewhere in an hour but not really know how long that is - they've never really developed the same feeling for time as you and I have.

Of course that might mean they're as likely to be an hour early!

I'd agree though with the psychologist that says it's more of a symptom of a condition than a condition itself

[Sqad]

JTP

///I'd agree though with the psychologist that says it's more of a symptom of a condition than a condition itself///

It is a big and often dangerous assumption to assume that a symptom is directly attributed to a pre-existing condition ( disorder) particularly when there is great difficulty in many cases in supporting an argument for the diagnosis of that particular " disorder".

[2sp_]

I can't stand lateness, but I think that different people have different reasons for constantly being late.

Some are arrogant and think that their time is more important than everyone else's, and therefore will turn up when they see fit.

Some are just plain scatterbrained and genuinely disorganised.

[boxtops]

If he has a genuine condition, then I bet a load of people who just can't be bothered to be on time will jump on the bandwagon..... I can't abide lateness, the courtesy of being on time for appointments, and not keep other people waiting, was dinned into me as a child. It's so rude otherwise, especially if you come in full of excuses.

[jake-the-peg]

Yes I'd agree Sqad - but it's an even bigger assumption that someone exhibiting odd behaviour who already suffers from a condition has an additional sydrome new to science.

Whether it's a completely novel syndrome or a symptom is hardly the point here.

the point is that people with pschological disorders are often labelled as 'just lazy' or lacking in some other catagory of self-discipline.

Mikey has exemplified that by saying:

//If you and I can be on time, then everybody else can be as well ! //

I'm sure he'd never dream of saying

//If you and I can run a 6 minute mile , then everybody else can be as well !//

or even

// If you and I can learn to read, then everybody else can be as well ! //

There's a simple lack of simple logical thinking

The idea seems to be that if someone exhibits anti-social behaviour because he's lazy or arrogant then everybody who exhibits the same behaviour must be lazy or arrogant.

and frankly that's just lazy thinking - but hey maybe our brains are all a bit hung over after Christmas