In Singapore, arriving late is a national pastime, expected so much that many people organising events will build in this tardiness.
For press conferences, it is not unusual to be asked to show up at a set time, only to find that the event was always due to start at least 30 minutes later.
At the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, events may start more or less on time, but it is not unusual to see patrons arriving 15-20 minutes late.
Indeed, promoters of pop concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium usually allow 30-45 minutes or more, knowing that music lovers never arrive on time. This habit of 'building in' time is not really helping the system, as people just arrive even later, knowing the event will not start on time.
The National Courtesy Campaign, launched in 1979, has been officially subsumed under the government-funded Singapore Kindness Movement since March 2001. In the past, the campaigns have used slogans like: 'Be a good neighbour', 'Let's be courteous', 'Let's use hand phones with courtesy' and 'A little thought means so much. Bring on a smile. Say 'Please/Thank You'.'
The latest campaign is now targeting guests arriving late to a wedding banquet. This might sound a bit strange, and some critics may call it more Orwellian social engineering, but what is wrong with a bit of respect?