Excuses

[robins72]

Found this on the bbc site interesting as I always used to be accused of being late

A survey has suggested two-thirds of us are regularly late when meeting people, with the mobile phone the main suspect.

And as well as punctuality, the mobile phone is corroding the whole manners of meeting up. Here's a few markers of the mobile-inspired decline of man.

PUNCTUALITY

The advent of the mobile phone harks back to a different age of etiquette, the time before watches. In the Canterbury Tales era, if you had arranged to meet the other pilgrims at the crossroads with the big tree on the 29 June, you were allowed a bit of leeway. Maybe noon was suggested, but it could hardly be enforced.

Thanks to mass produced watches and clocks we have had years of enforced punctuality, but now mobile phones allow us to call to apologise. Or rather, they allow sheepish text messages. And there is a code.

Man on mobile

"Giant hailstones destroyed my car"

"I'll be a couple of minutes late" translates as anything up to 15 minutes after the agreed time. "I'll be 15 minutes late" translates as anything up to half an hour. "I'm running very late" means it might be time to look for more punctual friends.

You might choose to use an excuse. "Because I left the house late" doesn't really wash, however often it might turn out to be the truth. Sounding better: "I witnessed a murder and had to stop to give a statement." Even better: "I saw an little old lady collapsed at the bus stop and had to stop to revive her."

IGNORING PEOPLE

So your friend/date has arrived late and you're in a pub drinking. There's only two of you, but the other person seems to think it's acceptable to take a call. Now two seconds of "I'm sorry, I'm out, I'll call you later" is irritating but the right side of acceptable. Fielding a five minute call, though increasingly common, is not.

What are you supposed to do during this time. You have to resort to fiddling with your own phone. Perhaps delete some old messages in my inbox.

The same activities as when the other person goes to the toilet. What did people do before the mobile. Did they make origami animals? Whittle sticks? Compose haiku? It's difficult to remember.

There is something severely incongruous about a mobile phone on a pressed white linen tablecloth. It's just plain wrong. Switch it off or face the wrath of the righteous. You wouldn't pull out a cryptic crossword during dinner, so why a mobile.

Does everyone have a mobile and what do you use it for most texting or talking?

[zookeeper]

Does everyone have a mobile and what do you use it for most texting or talking?

I was waiting for my hair to be cut the other day and one of the people who was having their hair cut answered their mobile phone and spoke for a few minutes. I asked the barber when I was getting mine cut if that happened often and he said yes!!! He also said that one bloke answered a phone and carried on speaking, when the barber went to carry on cutting his hair after a few minuted the bloke tutted, got up and carried on his conversation outside.

[robins72]

I was waiting for my hair to be cut the other day and one of the people who was having their hair cut answered their mobile phone and spoke for a few minutes. I asked the barber when I was getting mine cut if that happened often and he said yes!!! He also said that one bloke answered a phone and carried on speaking, when the barber went to carry on cutting his hair after a few minuted the bloke tutted, got up and carried on his conversation outside.

They do that in the bank all the time so rude!!!!!!!! GEt off your phone when I'm serving you muppets

[The Fat Controller]

"I'm late because when I heard my alarm clock, I thought it was a time bomb... therefore I got up and diffused the bomb and thought 'cool, we are all safe now' and I went back to bed."

Hows that for an excuse?

As for the phone issue, i wouldnt even answer it in any of the above situations, if its really important and I'm ignoring/rejecting a call, the other person usually has the common sense to txt and say "pick up, its important" or ring me repeatedly til i answer.

Even worse is people txting while you're talking to them, but then maybe I'm a bit of a hypocrite on that one.

[BigTone]

The train had a puncture

[Dollymarie]

My cat ate my homework (don't even have a cat )

[Thornbury Red]

I was dreaming England won the world cup and the match went to extra time

[Dan C]

My best one was at work once. I was late and when I showed up they asked why are you late and I replied, I was watching England win the rugby world cup!

I often used to oversleep after a night on the town and used to text my boss and say, Sorry but the bus hasn't turned up again and I was on the bus stop 15 mins before it was due. Worked every time as everyone knows how bad the Bristol bus service is.

[WTFiGO!?!]

My boss has got used to my average of 10 minutes lateness each morning. Bloody 6AM - wtf does he expect!

''well it's idiotboy innit, can't be easy for the lad'' are probably his thoughts.

If I did have to give an account for myself though I'd just say ''sorry, I'm just a bit crap'' I think.

[barry_manc]

I'm late for everything but because I'm late I've got extra time to think up an excuse. This mornings was... "I got slowed down by an abundance of whores, which meant I had to cross the road and ultimately slowed me down, if we were in a classier part of town... would there be a problem?" See, turn it round on them, no complaints.

Mobile etiquette needs addressing however, people texting away all the time and half the time they're just trying to look important. Maybe each time they press a button they get a bit more cancer? That way phonoholics will have to think twice, as will them ta-wats with their bluetooth earrings.

Another thing, nearly all blokes carry their phones in their pockets. Is it safe to be carrying a potential cancer spreader 2 inches away from your balls?

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

Does everyone have a mobile and what do you use it for most texting or talking?

Well I have a mobile phone and being young use it quite a bit. Typically I may make about 1000 mins of calls a month, but thanks to Stop the Clock I pay for a lot less than that. I also send around 200-250 texts a month.

I'm late for everything but because I'm late I've got extra time to think up an excuse. This mornings was... "I got slowed down by an abundance of whores, which meant I had to cross the road and ultimately slowed me down, if we were in a classier part of town... would there be a problem?" See, turn it round on them, no complaints.

Mobile etiquette needs addressing however, people texting away all the time and half the time they're just trying to look important. Maybe each time they press a button they get a bit more cancer? That way phonoholics will have to think twice, as will them ta-wats with their bluetooth earrings.

Another thing, nearly all blokes carry their phones in their pockets. Is it safe to be carrying a potential cancer spreader 2 inches away from your balls?

I agree about those people with those bluetooth thingys. alright when in the car but for some reason peopel wear them when shopping etc, and I can only presume it is because they think it makes them look cool. I must admit it is mostly men who wear them, normally between the ages of 30 and 50.

As for the cancer thing whilst not much research has been done into it, I would say whilst there is some chance it would be very little, as any potential radiation woudl have to travel through the whole of the upper leg which is quite big. Whilst there is probably some tiny risk, it is probably less than the risk from radon gas etc. However if some really clever person knows better speak up (with proof/a valid argument) and I will gladly concede that I am wrong (which happens very often).