AITA for leaving my friend stranded because she kept us waiting for over an hour?
The user describes a situation involving a friend, referred to as "Sarah," who has a consistent habit of being very late. The group had organized a party bus for a friend's birthday, setting a firm meeting time of 6:30 p.m. to ensure they boarded by 7:00 p.m., and Sarah confirmed she would be punctual.
Despite assurances, Sarah did not arrive by 7:00 p.m., only sending vague updates like "I’m almost there!" After waiting for over an hour past the required boarding time, the group proceeded without her, informing her she would need to catch up later if she still wished to attend.
Sarah arrived shortly after they left and became extremely angry, accusing the user of being selfish and abandoning her, leading to a division within the friend group regarding the user's actions.
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The user is caught between upholding a necessary boundary regarding punctuality and group commitment, and maintaining harmony within the friend group, especially given the history of Sarah's tardiness.
The central conflict is whether the user was justified in enforcing the time constraint for the sake of the whole group or if this action was overly punitive towards a friend known for being consistently late.
Considering that the event involved a fixed schedule and a collective experience, was the decision to leave on time appropriate enforcement of group respect, or did the long-standing tolerance for Sarah’s lateness mean that leaving without her const*tuted an unfair and overly harsh response?
The Internet Sounded Off — and It Got Loud:
Support, sarcasm, and strong words — the replies covered it all. This one definitely got people talking.