Saturday, February 7, 2004

Stood Up ... Or Not

Was meeting someone at Starbucks tonight. He was somewhat late. While waiting for his delayed arrival, I started wondering how long you're supposed to wait for someone at a Starbucks.

I mean, I remembered that one in college about how if the professor doesn't come in 20 minutes, class is cancelled -- but what's the rule for meeting a (relative) stranger for a cup of joe?

My thinking went something like this: After five minutes of standing there like an idiot, I bought myself a beverage. This was because I figured if I was going to be waiting any significant length of time, I might as well have something to keep my hands busy while passing the time.

At about 10 minutes late, I decided that it would be proper to bail at 15 minutes -- if only I'd given him my cell phone number. Because, really, you can be 10 minutes late without calling, but if you're running 15 minutes late, you should really pick up a damn phone and alert the person you're supposed to be meeting. By that logic, I figure if the dude you're meeting hasn't arrived or called within 15 minutes of the meeting time, you've been stood up.

But as the 15 minute point went by, I rolled my eyes in frustration because I HADN'T given him my cell phone number. And I wasn't sure if 15 was enough. I figured 20 (going back to the college prof. thing) was long enough to wait, phone number or no phone number.

At 20 minutes late, I figured I'd give him another 5 minutes, because I'd hit a lot of traffic on the way, and he probably did too.

At 25 minutes late, I decided I was officially stood up, and sat there swirling the last few drops of my beverage, trying to figure out where I was going to go for dinner.

At 30 minutes late, with one final mouthful of tea on its way down my throat in preparation for my journey to In-N-Out for a sympathy Double-Double, he showed up.

Traffic.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Traffic? Traffic! Tell me NZ, you didn't buy that did you? Okay the date was to start at Starbucks and then dinner? Here is my rule (new to me, but I'm sure I read it elsewhere) the time you wait is proportional to the cost. A wait for coffee is SHORT. Be there or be square. I think you deserve someone on time. Ah, you drive in traffic right? Come on girl, stick up for yourself. To the curb with him. Gordy

Anonymous said...

Clearly Gordy does not live in Los Angeles. I knew how far the dude was coming (a factor that should go into the calculation) and I'd seen that freeway for myself that night. Traffic was a legitimate excuse. (And still, I woulda been gone when he got there were it not for my indecision over the double-double.)

Anonymous said...

I'm betting you hit the character limit before you could describe how profusely he apologized, all the ways he promised to make it up to you, how sincere you could tell he was, or that gut instinct made you glad you had waited. Right?

Are you glad you waited? Do we get to hear more??

~ Karyn