DEAR ABBY: Please settle an argument: How long should one wait for somebody?
I recently had a date with a friend. We agreed to meet at a specific time and place. After my friend failed to arrive 15 minutes past the appointed time, I left. Evidently he showed up five minutes later.
Now he is annoyed with me. He says good manners require that one wait 30 minutes for friends or family and 15 minutes for business associates or new acquaintances.
What do you make of this, Abby? Some people are perpetually late, so I need some reasonable guidelines. -- CLOCK-WATCHER IN LOS ANGELES
DEAR CLOCK-WATCHER: Nowhere is it written that one "must" wait a certain amount of time for someone who is perpetually late. Common sense dictates that if someone knows he or she is running late, the person should call and inform whomever is waiting. (Almost everyone has a cellular phone or pager these days.)
P.S. I'll bet your friend is on time next time!