En-time-tlement

This story reminds me of a colleague I had many years ago, who was a notorious time optimist — consistently late for EVERYTHING.

One time, he was due to take a train to meet with a client. This wasn’t a small local train, but one of the big express trains with hundreds of seats. Say the train left at 8:30 am. He arrived at the station at 8:45 am, discovered that the train had left, and returned to the office, fuming with anger.

Colleague: “They just left without me!”

Me: “Well, they do have a timetable to keep…”

Colleague: “Oh, come on. It doesn’t work that way, and you know it.”

Me: “It doesn’t?”

Colleague: “When I booked the ticket, did they or did they not ask me for my cell phone number?”

Me: “Well, yeah, they always do that, so they can send you the ticket.”

Colleague: “So, they had my phone number. When they realised I wasn’t on board, why wouldn’t they call me and ask if I was on my way?”

Me: “You expect them to check 300 seats and call everyone who isn’t on board in the two minutes the train stops at the station? And then call the stragglers and wait for them to turn up?”

Colleague: “Don’t be a smarta**. I was two minutes away, tops.”

Me: “Didn’t you just say you were there at 8.45?”

Colleague: “So, now I’m not allowed to stop for a smoke?! I’m just saying it wouldn’t have killed them to wait. This is awful service.”

At that point, I suggested that I call the customer and reschedule. 

I wish I could tell you that this was the only time we had this exact conversation after he missed a train. I wish I could tell you that… but offices are no fairytale world.

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