What's the worst excuse you've ever given someone for not meeting a deadline?

Question

(Or best..... depending on how you look at it. lol)

Answer 1

Might have told you about the time I was in school and had a politics lesson in the morning and one in the afternoon. Decided not to go in that morning, but wandered in for the afternoon. To avoid consequences, I slouched into class, was surly and silent and utterly preoccupied. Teach asked me what was wrong, and, come to that, why I hadn't been in her class that morning. "Oh, I was busy failing my driving test AGAIN!" I said. Poor thing was desperately sympathetic, thinking I was all heartbroken and churned up. It was only when she left the room that my friends gathered round, and I mentioned it was a complete con...

Best TRUE excuse for missing a deadline was my first month in a job on a magazine for merchant navy officers. I was hunting an interview with a captain of a ship whose ship had burned to a cinder in a port on the other side of the world. I was in London chasing him in Australia, he was in Australia chasing permission from his bosses in California to talk to this journalist in London - whoooole logistical time-zone nightmare, which ultimately fell apart two days after the dealine was past. Way not to impress the new boss.

In the same job, I've also missed a press conference because, with no word of a lie, I missed the boat it was taking place on. Couldn't find the dock in time, and saw it steaming off as I reached the pier. Had to make my way across London to where the boat was going, and beat it there, to get the interview I needed.

Come to think of it, in that same job, I was four hours late for "press day" - the most crucial day of the month - once because I was at home talking to Donna (who's now my wife) on the net. Blamed it on a broken-down subway, which I admit was stretching it beyond the point of reason. Was worth it though.

Very nearly missed a plane to Monte Carlo once because I was in a taxi to the airport when I realised I didn't have my passport. Missed an interview on a trip to Italy because I came down with food poisoning. Which was also true, but cut very little ice with my bosses, who'd allocated two pages to my words, which then didn't exist.

But I supposed the worst, true, excuse has to be the first time I met my wife at Heathrow. I was late arriving, and she was a bit frantic, having flown all the way to London to meet me for the first time. The weird thing is that this excuse was completely true. I'd got on a subway train saying Heathrow. Halfway there, the driver announced that in fact, he wouldn't be going to Heathrow after all, but somewhere entirely...else. A bunch of frustrated passengers got off, and we spent the next half-hour being British on a train platform in December, m uttering about how it just wasn't good enough really, was it...
And so I was late for our first real-world meeting. Don't think she believed the reason why at the time. I THINK, having now been married tro me for almost three years, and experienced first-hand my extraordinary relationship with transport of all kinds, I think she's come to terms with the fact that my life is just LIKE that!

Answer 2

I've never failed to meet a deadline, but if I ever do I always believe that honesty is the best policy.

Answer 3

My car broke down, my dog died, my house caught on fire, and I got mugged on the way to school, and the robber took my paper.
And for some reason, the teacher just didn't believe me.

Answer 4

Well you tell person A that person B didn't give you X soon enough and then you tell person B that person A didn't give you Y soon enough. Why are you asking if I ate Alphabits for breakfast? I don't follow.

Answer 5

"If you would drop some of this other workload, then I could meet the deadline" (for real)

Answer 6

none yet because I always try to meet my deadline.

Answer 7

I told my boss that I was unaware that he needed those documents by Monday. He told me Friday as I was leaving the office.

Answer 8

My printer broke down, my program is incompatible with your computer and my typewriter ran out of ink, lol.

Answer 9

I thought I spotted Elvis in a K-Mart and got all caught up in that...

Answer 10

"I met the deadline but you weren't paying attention and you missed it."

and it worked too.