"If you are ten minutes early, you are five minutes late."

kiteboard · 01-12-2011, 03:39 PM

Ever play with someone who always shows up late, or not at all? Or are you that guy? It's disrespectful, as if you are saying, "I'm better than you are, sucker. So wait for me, and wait, because you suck and aren't as good as I am." I can show anytime I want, and if you don't like it, then I don't have to play with you.

fuzz nation · 01-12-2011, 03:54 PM

...or you're kind of disorganized, but sorry for holding things up and insist on cracking the new balls, buying the beers later on, and doing whatever else one can to make amends...

Hey, I'm trying...

The good news is that if I'm ten minutes early, I'm actually fifteen minutes early, since the clock in my car is five minutes fast. I feel soooooooo much better now!

dozu · 01-12-2011, 04:32 PM

i cut guy a slack if he

- is in high school and typically busy with study
- 10 minutes or more of a longer drive than I do
- usually busy with job/kids

so that pretty much covers everybody.

onehandbh · 01-12-2011, 04:36 PM

I'm often a little bit late for things. Part of it is from trying to pack to many
things into my schedule.

r2473 · 01-12-2011, 04:39 PM

Really bad if you are playing indoor tennis.

Not terrible if you are playing outdoor. Unless the courts are full plus people waiting.

But yes, if it is a consistent problem, then there is no excuse. It means the guy is starting out late.

I had a partner that I played with for 3+ years that was like this. Asked him time and again to plan to be on time. Finally one day he was 1/2 hr. late for an indoor court time. I have never played with him again.

LeeD · 01-12-2011, 04:43 PM

I think I was only late for a practice match ONCE ever....
Like around late '78, right around Dec., was taking a bus to a practice match in GoldenGatePark when I saw somebody was surfing at OBSF.
Wave size a true 18-27', as a photo of LarryMcGraw (6'3" tall) shows you can count SIX of him above his head, and he is not quite touching his board on the drop. GregShepard forgave me, as he knew I was a surfer first and foremost. I got credit in an article printed in NewYorkerMag and later on the Mavericks (Matt Warshaw's) book as one of the crew sitting on the wall and procrastinating.

Cindysphinx · 01-12-2011, 05:47 PM

I used to do a clinic with two ladies who were habitually late. Always 5-15 minutes. Annoying, because they didn't even have the decency to rush in with a frazzled look and an apology.

After a while, the pro and I decided to use that time for some private tutoring. Then when they arrived he would go right into the lesson with no warm-up.

mikeler · 01-13-2011, 04:37 AM

I've got one guy I play that is usually 5-10 minutes late. I stopped playing him after work because of it. On the weekends it is not a big deal, I just show up 5-10 minutes late myself.

jhick · 01-13-2011, 05:21 AM

When I captained, there was one guy on my team notoriously late for matches. He would often show up 10-15 minutes late and close to having to default matches. Made my life as a captain quite a bit more stressful.

kiteboard · 01-13-2011, 07:34 AM

How about 45 min. late, or an hour, or a text message saying: "I'm running late, and may not make it.", sent an hour late? That's the bs this guy is feeding me. His brother is not much better. Lombardi had his guys show up 15 min. early, cause he knew there were always guys who showed 15 min. late, even if there was a real deadline. Nothing to do but call him on it and dump a guy like that. Yeah, he's an open player, so what? Doesn't mean he gets to treat me like sheit.

jdubbs · 01-13-2011, 09:16 AM

I had a guy cancel on my a couple of months ago for an indoor court. I had to eat the entire $35/hour fee, and he never paid me for it!

But most guys are cool. But yeah, 5-10 minutes late seems to be the norm, not sure what that's all about, just selfishness.

SuperDuy · 01-13-2011, 09:21 AM

Or just show up half hour late yourself and make them wait, they'll catch on.

mikeler · 01-13-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiteboard

How about 45 min. late, or an hour, or a text message saying: "I'm running late, and may not make it.", sent an hour late? That's the bs this guy is feeding me. His brother is not much better. Lombardi had his guys show up 15 min. early, cause he knew there were always guys who showed 15 min. late, even if there was a real deadline. Nothing to do but call him on it and dump a guy like that. Yeah, he's an open player, so what? Doesn't mean he gets to treat me like sheit.

If somebody does not show up for me, they better have a darn good reason otherwise I won't schedule with them ever again.

papa · 01-13-2011, 09:42 AM

Sometimes life interferes with tennis schedules but mostly I think its just bad scheduling on their part - I see it all the time and its always the same ones. Traffic, kids, job, the idiot they were behind, and so forth, there is always something because they assume this time they will hit all the lights right, traffic will be non-existent, can still make it even though the fuel light has been on for a week, etc.

You know, the funny thing is that the ones with what I would consider "difficult" schedules, always make it on time - that's not always true however.

The ones that get me are the ones that are always late and come in with a take-out coffee or soft drink so you know they could have been on time if they chose not to stop. If they don't show at all, guess what the cost of the next lesson is?

kiteboard · 01-13-2011, 11:47 AM

These guy don't ever apologize, or admit to being late, or choose to make amends.

jhick · 01-13-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiteboard

How about 45 min. late, or an hour, or a text message saying: "I'm running late, and may not make it.", sent an hour late? That's the bs this guy is feeding me. His brother is not much better. Lombardi had his guys show up 15 min. early, cause he knew there were always guys who showed 15 min. late, even if there was a real deadline. Nothing to do but call him on it and dump a guy like that. Yeah, he's an open player, so what? Doesn't mean he gets to treat me like sheit.

If it's USTA, don't bother showing up if you're 45 minutes late, the rules say automatic default if over 15 minutes late (unless you and the opposing captain mutually agree to start the match at a later time).

jester911 · 01-13-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiteboard

How about 45 min. late, or an hour, or a text message saying: "I'm running late, and may not make it.", sent an hour late? That's the bs this guy is feeding me. His brother is not much better. Lombardi had his guys show up 15 min. early, cause he knew there were always guys who showed 15 min. late, even if there was a real deadline. Nothing to do but call him on it and dump a guy like that. Yeah, he's an open player, so what? Doesn't mean he gets to treat me like sheit.

Sounds just like my former hitting/doubles partner. I put up with that crap for a lot longer than I should have. For matches he would always be on time. For practice or us just hitting he would be late late every time an did the same stuff. Call when he was already 45 min late and say he was going to be later.

The last straw was when he didn't show and didn't call at all. That is the reason he is a former partner.

kiteboard · 01-13-2011, 12:26 PM

Same thing this guy does. He's not late for open matches, just with practices.

jester911 · 01-13-2011, 12:32 PM

I look at someone that does this as totally selfish. He obviously feels his time is more valuable than yours. Time to move on.

bad_call · 01-13-2011, 02:53 PM

better be worth the wait or....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ROV...eature=related

01-12-2011, 03:39 PM	#1
kiteboard Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oakland Posts: 3,911	"If you are ten minutes early, you are five minutes late." Ever play with someone who always shows up late, or not at all? Or are you that guy? It's disrespectful, as if you are saying, "I'm better than you are, sucker. So wait for me, and wait, because you suck and aren't as good as I am." I can show anytime I want, and if you don't like it, then I don't have to play with you. Last edited by kiteboard : 01-12-2011 at 03:42 PM.

01-12-2011, 04:36 PM	#4
onehandbh Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,380	I'm often a little bit late for things. Part of it is from trying to pack to many things into my schedule. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL87F0C85ECE631F82&v=d8k3NUJ6B3I&feature=player_detailpage

01-12-2011, 04:39 PM	#5
r2473 Legend Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,349	Really bad if you are playing indoor tennis. Not terrible if you are playing outdoor. Unless the courts are full plus people waiting. But yes, if it is a consistent problem, then there is no excuse. It means the guy is starting out late. I had a partner that I played with for 3+ years that was like this. Asked him time and again to plan to be on time. Finally one day he was 1/2 hr. late for an indoor court time. I have never played with him again. __________________ “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

01-12-2011, 05:47 PM	#7
Cindysphinx G.O.A.T. Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 14,084	I used to do a clinic with two ladies who were habitually late. Always 5-15 minutes. Annoying, because they didn't even have the decency to rush in with a frazzled look and an apology. After a while, the pro and I decided to use that time for some private tutoring. Then when they arrived he would go right into the lesson with no warm-up. __________________ -- Random Error Generator, Version 4.0 -- Master Moonballer

01-13-2011, 07:34 AM	#10
kiteboard Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oakland Posts: 3,911	How about 45 min. late, or an hour, or a text message saying: "I'm running late, and may not make it.", sent an hour late? That's the bs this guy is feeding me. His brother is not much better. Lombardi had his guys show up 15 min. early, cause he knew there were always guys who showed 15 min. late, even if there was a real deadline. Nothing to do but call him on it and dump a guy like that. Yeah, he's an open player, so what? Doesn't mean he gets to treat me like sheit. Last edited by kiteboard : 01-13-2011 at 07:37 AM.