URNotAlone

A Rant about Time and Promises

March 29th, 2006 8:57 am MST

OK, I know that cultures vary from place to place but one thing that *always* irks the living hell out of me is people who have no concept of the meaning of their word and also of time. I hate to say it, but it is a common thing here in Mexico. I arrived here this past Friday, and was supposed to meet my friend where she worked, as I was supposd to stay with her while I was here. This is what was arranged when I booked the trip back in November and confirmed it with her on Thursday. With me so far? So I get hee on Friday, make it to her store, which is closed. Bad sign Number 1. Her business partner arrives about 30 minutes after I get there and says he hasn't heard from her all day. Bad sign Number 2. He tried paging her cell phone, no answer. Bad sign Number 3. By about 4pm I get tired of waiting and tell him that I need to make sure that I have a place to stay so I went to a Hotel and got a room. I return to the business, as they were having a party that night, and very graciously invited me. It was hoped that my frined would be there. She wasn't. Bad sign Number 4. I learned from one of the other attendees that my friend had gone to a job interview that day in a neighboring town. OK....but no message left, no attempt to contact me, and no reply to the email I left later on that night. Bad sign Number 5. Monday was my last full day in Mexico and I have yet to hear from this person. I tried her place of busines one more time late Monday afternoon and still no show. I spoke with her business partner Sunday and he thought, but was not sure that she might have been there. Bad sign Number 6, especially considering the consistent no shows. Ok, now that you know the whole story of the rant, let me get to my point. I understand girls in the US not showing when they say they will out of some kind of fear, but when it happens like this, with *NO* communication at all, it bothers me. I travel a great deal, so I am used to fending for myself, but if I hadn't been, I would have been screwed. Trapped in a country where you don't speak the language and don't know anybody can be a scary thing. With people like us T-Girls, your word is all you have to establish credibility. If you break it, don't expect me to go easy on you, especially in a situation like this. I wound up spending my entire trip in a hotel, tonight included. That pisses me off, because when I first arranged this trip it was with the 100% clear understanding that I would be staying with my friend as I could really not afford the hotel. I do not like getting screwed in this fashion. I will never again trust the word of my friend from here, as she has made no effort at all to even explain her abscence in person. Many of you who know me know who this person is, and I will let you make up your own minds, but mine is made up. You are only as good as your word, and right now, her's is worthless to me.