ONLINE ONLY: Annoyed lately

"My grandmother died." "I was having car problems." "I slept through my alarm." "My roommate kept me up last night with his obnoxious rendition of Paris Hilton's 'Stars are Blind.'"\nAs a graduate student and instructor for introductory courses, I have heard more creative excuses for skipping class than Mel Gibson offered for his drunken tirade. Just last week, a student informed me that his assignment would be turned in late because his computer was not compatible with the Oncourse software. What? Do you think I'm brain-dead? Do you think I'm not aware that this campus has an abundance of computers (with adjacent printers) that are perfectly compatible with Oncourse?\nQuite frankly, I'm tired of all these excuses. I'm a little perplexed as to when it became acceptable to be tardy to an event or for a deadline. When I make an appointment for 8 a.m., I expect for it to occur at 8 a.m .\nI guess if someone deserves the majority of the blame for this societal trend, I'll throw it on doctors. As a whole, doctors are notorious for being late. Why? I honestly don't know, but I've always surmised that they thought their time was more valuable than mine. That and I thought they liked to make me wait on that cold table with the paper sheet and endless copies of Ladies' Home Journal and outdated Sports Illustrated magazines. It seems like they want to put me through a little bit of torture to make up for their years of hell in medical school. However, this unthoughtful practice seems to have trickled down to the masses.\nWhile it might seem beneficial to be prompt and prepared, society has a term for the chronologically challenged: "fashionably late." In order for someone to be considered wanted and desired by friends, they just set their watch for Mountain Time instead of Eastern Time. Instant two-hour differential! When they don't show on time, the mystery of their absence only deepens. The excitement builds, making their entrance even more grandiose than it would have been if they had been on time! Right. I don't know if I'm alone, but I consider such a practice to be rude and inconsiderate.\nI understand that emergencies do occur and careful planning cannot account for a sudden change in events. Even the most scheduled person cannot plan for a Bloomington rainstorm or a train blocking their route of choice. All I'm asking for is an end to the unnecessary excuses. An honest apology for lack of punctuality goes miles in my book. Respect and trust would be maintained, as long as each party were genuine.\nResponsibility isn't just a 14-letter word that was on your spelling list in fourth grade. It's a value that is important in becoming a dependable human being.