Wait a Sec

As Ellen and I returned from the mall with her friend, the cell phone provided the instant synchronization of the rendezvous point.  I said "We're only two minutes away".  But how well do we estimate time and when do we fudge the time to keep someone emotional calm while waiting?

One of the most irritating things is when your time (and inner duty of promptness) is different from the connecting parties time.  How patient are you in waiting for someone when they don't appear at the designated time?  I think normal etiquette is to allow for 5-15 minutes but it depends on the circumstances and the person.  When I am meeting someone for lunch, I usually allow 30 minutes.  Wait times while on hold with customer service reps can seem like eternity. 

Naturally when you are waiting for someone or something, time slows down.  When you are late and rushing to rendezvous time speeds up.  Hence the mind is creating greater divergence in emotions for the wait-ee and the late-ee.

So there is no need to say wait a second - since the time has already passed.