porcelainwhite

I just read this post about a woman in Spain who says Spaniards are carefree about meeting times and how if they say to get dinner at 2, they wont even show up until half an hour later because that's what they really meant.

I don't know if this is just a female thing as well as a male thing?

Have any of you guys experienced this with Spanish friends? Or is her accusation false?

jimenato

In my experience this is true in Spain BUT it is equally true of Brits in Spain. We have been at a birthday lunchtime 'do' at 2 and some people haven't turned up until 4 - expecting to eat. They were turned away.

pwwm

Never a problem with Spanish friends, find the Brits are worse

jackytoo

If it's a BBQ or a buffet the Spanish are always early or on time

We were invited to dinner at a spanish friends house, told to come for 9.30pm. As we arrived (on time) they were just returning from food shopping! Had to sit around whilst dinner was prepared and sat down to eat at 11pm

Not just friends, Tradespeople arrive late too.

gill556

my Spanish teacher was horrified when I told her that the English always arrive on time or even early and she told me that it was considered bad manners to arrive before time as the hosts may not be ready for you. Always arrive a little late but not too late.

JLFS

A little off topic, Merry Christmas, or what is left of it......

Tardy.................I have never heard of it, but I guessed it means late,

Can you say "I was tardy?" It just sounds wierd......

I dont suppose it could be a verb used as TARDAR, though

Lynn R

No, it's not a verb - just a very old-fashioned adjective (not much used since Dickens' day, I don't think!).

I've not really experienced a problem with Spanish tradespeople turning up late, nor Spanish people in general. Some are punctual, some not, just like the British. We have one British friend who is absolutely notorious for it, always hours late for everything. I think it's bad manners to be habitually late, means you think your time is more important than anyone else's.

jimenato

Yes - we are on-time people and it really hacks us off when people are late for no good reason. It's rude.

lynnxa

tardy is still very much used in the US - also used as a noun - on my dd's school report there was a column for 'tardies' and anpther for 'absences'

bxpuser24710519

When I arrived in Spain I was told the Spanish are never on time/early for anything and appointments were a general time not specific, boy was that right in some cases. Optician time given no optician half hour he turned up then started the queue back to front ! last in first seen Appointment at a hospital for surgery 8.30pm At 8.30 pm there was queue of about an hour and a half one person checking patients in half of the people at least were family support. Op eventually around 10pm and totally botched. The man who salvaged what he could from the mess was always there at my appointment times.
One delivery company ( one used by a white goods supplier) was been late in fact changed days and times of delivery so much the company lost the sale. Other than that they have been good, esp my local muebles half hour from purchase I was watching my tv, they also delivered our fridge and washing machine asap. I was told not to arrive at time given for social events, 10/20 mins later was better.

The British were known for being punctual, I like to be on time for apps etc and do turn up about time given for social events. When to leave social events is difficult too. Too early do they think you don't like it too late are you rude, have to be told to go is way past acceptable.

Recent call to a plumber resulted in him arriving 20 minutes later ! left job to get parts and returned asap and finished the job. Air con man arrived on day he said at time he siad also, can't say tradesman have been late to date.

anonimouse

I find them pretty much on time, However a little off topic, I do think that Spanish do suffer from tunnel vision, they seem to see nothing other than where they are aiming for, that's why all their cars are bashed to hell, a guy the other day was reversing in a garage looking to his left where the pump he wanted was, the guy behind him had to screech off out of the way very fast.

Domino

I had a furniture shipment from the UK delivered last week.
I was told they would deliver sometime on Tuesday from base in Murcia. At 0725 I received a mobile call to say they were on their way and would be with us in 15 mins. That was a team of Brits.

In the UK I seemed to arrive 5-10m before a doctors apppt and sit there for a min of 40m before being called in, even when I had a 0900 appt.
The one day in 20yrs I was 5m late doctor commented on my late arrival.

Could the Spanish being tardy for the party just be showing off, that they have arrived, and diverting everyones attention to themselves ?
The actual timing is a fine art, not too early not too late.

.

evamar

It is definitely considered as TERRIBLE manners to arrive early. It's a big social nono. Especially when you are to go to some friends' house, they actually say the time they will start preparing dinner, just as if you had arranged to meet at a restaurant. So you can expect some drinks and waiting time before everything is ready to sit down at the table... why make it longer and getting your hosts stressed by arriving too early???

As a Spanish woman, in Spain I know that when you are preparing an informal meeting you can be quite liberal with the time... 15-20 minutes is normal, and quite frankly, expected. This will give everybody time to arrive and have things ready too. If you are to arrive later than that, then you should call and give a good reason for being late.

If you don't call and arrive later than those 20 minutes then you are being bad mannered and many will take it as showing off to get attention. I used to have an acquaintance like that, she would come almost an hour late and expect comments on her looks... as on that occasion we were going outside for dinner we decided to simply order without waiting for her, and she took it quite badly, especially as we left her finishing her food and left for some drinks somewhere else. Next time, she was acceptably late, the normal 15 minutes.

As per appointments or similar, you are expected to be on time, and even 5 minutes early. You will be made to wait, but just in case of cancellations or similar you'd better arrive early.

So, it really all depends of who you are to meet, just don't be too strict with the time if you really know the people, as you are not expected to be early in any case and not even on time.

In the UK I simply try to be on time or even early, and definitely call if there's a problem with the train (too often!!!) or similar, but never early when invited to a friend's house. I have actually let friends know that I don't want them too early when I'm entertaining!

jackytoo

I once went on a European business training course run by the EU. 6 of us from each country and for some unknown reason took place in Turkey They were all very stereotypical. Spanish always late and the Germans were sat waiting and organised before anyone arrived. The French were whingers.

evamar

ok... so what about the British???