[nopassrecover]

There is a difference between a reason and an excuse. An excuse is an attempt to remove blame ("it's not my fault, the traffic was bad") whereas a reason is an explanation of the cause ("the traffic was bad"). The latter, isn't an attempt to remove blame, but to a) identify risk factors that can potentially be mitigated in future and b) to remove misunderstandings ("I bet he was late because he didn't care" or as in the article "If the work would have mattered to you, you would have found a solution.") by explaining the true factors that caused the issue.

Assuming people are maliciously trying to ruin your day, and flat out don't care, is a sign of poor thinking patterns and a precursor for mental illness.

[bad_user]

   The latter, isn't an attempt to remove blame

I actually have a different view.

Excuse: "I'm sorry, but the traffic was bad".

Reason: "The traffic was bad << now fuck off >>"

    If the work would have mattered to you, 
    you would have found a solution

Over the years after getting my brain fucked for pennies and consistently treated as a resource that shouldn't question the powers that be, I get pretty cynical when I hear such words.