Today’s pet peeve: Filipino time

I hate the notion of Filipino time, and the expectation that it’s okay to be hours late to a social gathering, or meeting a person. I am not one of those people who can just show up at my own leisure to something I know started at a certain time.

It’s demeaning and disappointing that the “Filipino time” concept is an acceptable, even expected in our culture. Why set a time when no one will be there? I have actually set fake times, 2 hours early sometimes for things, and people still show up three hours later. I know of people putting fake times at their wedding invitations because they know that people will be late. These ultra expensive, incredibly difficult to plan once in a lifetime events in someone’s life, and people don’t even take the effort to show up on time for it, is saddening.

Sure there’s traffic, and life happens, and all these things, but aren’t we adults that can be clear and say, I can’t make it at that time because of this, or that? The excuses are the worst, or the “I’m almost there”s and the “On my way” when they’re still at home is depressing. Why set a time you know you won’t be there for? Let’s be adults here and say, oh, there are things at home and I will probably not make it at the time we talked about, can we change the time so we’re both there at the time we can? Simple, quick, real.

So please, when you make plans this 2015, and onward, be honest. We deserve better than the excuses.

What is your pet peeve?