Can You Lie to Friends About This? Viral Video Sparks Debate

We all know at least one person who is always late. However, TikTok users may have found a controversial solution to this common problem.

A TikTok creator recently shared in a viral video with over 11 million views that her friends have started lying to her about reservation times to make sure she arrives on time instead of half an hour late.

“If you’re my best friends who just made a reservation for 8:30 and told me 8:00, well played,” the TikToker said in the clip.

Upon arriving at the restaurant at 8:22 pm, she asked for the table she thought was reserved for 8 p.m. and was informed that she was actually the “first one here,” rather than the last.

IM WORKING ON IT

While the TikToker saw the humor in her friends’ tactic to manage her chronic lateness, her behavior and that of her friends sparked a heated debate in the comments section.

“I would just stop inviting you. Chronically late people get on my nerves,” one viewer commented.

“I feel like it’s just basic respect to show up on time if someone plans something,” added another.

“How do y’all keep a job being this late?” questioned someone else, with others criticizing late individuals as disrespectful.

“There’s nothing funny about being late all the time,” another person chimed in. “I just don’t invite people who are always late anymore.”

“From the friend who once started lying about what time to show up: The next step is *forgetting* to invite you,” commented another person.

Etiquette expert Lisa Grotts told USA Today that friends should discuss and come to an understanding of what is considered “on time,” as everyone’s perception of what is polite might vary. Some might accept arriving within a 10-minute window, while others adhere to the “if you’re early, you’re on time” mantra.

Persistent and severe lateness could have bigger consequences than just being lied to about dinner reservation times.

“When you are late, it says that your time is more important than everybody else’s,” Grotts explained. “It’s not. If this type of behavior continues, you might find yourself off the party guest list.”

Other TikTok users didn’t find lying or lateness to be such serious issues, admitting that they and their friends are often running late.

“Friends are helping you,” argued one person. “I’ve been the late friend and working on it a lot. Often it’s stress from too many responsibilities or constraints. Never intentional but a fixable habit.”

“Oh, I always do this for my late friend,” wrote another. “Love her though!”

“Maturing is not being mad at friends for making accommodations for the chronically late friend,” commented someone else, although some users argued that the TikTok creator might be even later next time now that she knows about the lie.

Brad Fulton, an associate professor of management and social policy at Indiana University – Bloomington, advised against lying as it often leads to more lies.

Taya Cohen, a professor of organizational behavior and business ethics at Carnegie Mellon University, agreed, suggesting that deception could upset friends if they discovered different communication for each person.

Some viewers vouched for confronting friends about their chronic tardiness, but Fulton expressed that it might be more trouble than it’s worth.

“If a person confronts a friend about their chronic tardiness, the friend might accuse the person of being controlling, citing that being on time is a cultural value, not a universal value,” he explained.