Sir,-L. D. Austin’s letter is an example of the level to which people will descend in order to try to justify their own mistakes. The writer of this letter mentions "the delays and hold-ups inevitable when a large concourse of persons converges upon.a single point." One would imagine that Mr. Austin, being so well aware of these "delays and holdups,’ would practise the simple expedient of leaving home a little earlier. However, when he goes on to cite "the human element which by long custom
has acquired a certain latitude in the observance of punctuality," it would seem that he does not even try to be punctual, but merely hopes that Mr. Boyd ,Neel will join him in discourtesy and be unpunctual too, When this hope fails to materialise, he seeks to justify himself by saying that strict punctuality is an offence. When Mr. Austin sets out to catch a train scheduled to leave at 8 o'clock, I suppose he arrives at 8.10 and then blames the driver of being "unduly and unnecessarily precise" in leaving and for failing "to observe a "certain latitude in punctuality."
L.
WILKINSON
(Wellington).
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 431, 26 September 1947, Page 5
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189Untitled New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 431, 26 September 1947, Page 5
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