I cancelled dinner because my friend was 45 minutes late. Fair?
The complainant says
I booked a table at a restaurant for 7pm for my friend and me. It was a place she'd been wanting to try, and I'd paid a £10 per person deposit. At 7:05 she texted 'running a bit late'. At 7:20, 'on my way now'. At 7:40 the restaurant said they could only hold the table another five minutes.
At 7:45 she still wasn't there and wasn't answering, so I told the restaurant to give the table away, left and texted her that I'd gone home. She arrived ten minutes later to find I'd left. This isn't the first time. She's been at least 30 minutes late to nearly everything for years.
The other side says the friend, as the complainant tells it
She says the trains were delayed, she was texting me updates, and that walking out was a massive overreaction that left her stranded in town. She says a good friend would have waited or at least had a drink at the bar with her.
Jury discussion (8 comments)
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'On my way now' at 7:20 and arriving at 7:55 is not a train delay, that's leaving the house at 7:20.
45 minutes late with a deposit and a restaurant threatening to give the table away? You waited longer than most people would.
My chronically late friend started getting told a time 30 minutes earlier than everyone else. Life changing.
If it was a one-off train delay I'd say wait. The 'for years' bit changes everything.
Exactly. You're not reacting to tonight, you're reacting to the last five years of tonights.
But then say that to her calmly, don't punish her on a random Tuesday when it might actually have been the train.
She's upset about being stranded in town. You were stranded in a restaurant for 45 minutes.
Leaving is fine. Leaving without calling her first to say you're about to go is a bit cold.