[iloveponies]

The acceptance of this seems to vary towards the reliability and availability of transport (both personal and public) amongst other factors. Here in London where train frequency can be as little as 90 seconds but compensation payable to punters only if the service is greater than 15 minutes late - "stuck on the tube (with no phone reception)" is almost always an acceptable excuse.

In Tokyo, given as your employer usually pays for your train fare and the train service is notorious for being punctual and reliable, you're expected on time and if you're not, the rail company usually issues on paper an apology like this http://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/delay_certificate/pop.aspx?D=2... .

[cupcake-unicorn]

That's very true. I tend to hate people's BS excuses for most things (I'm glad "the holidays" is now over, since that was a perfect excuse for pretty much anything), but I rely on public transit (bus system, not subway) to get around. Often to get places that I could drive in about 15 minutes (if I had a car), I have to leave an hour early. I'm used to it, and this works a good deal of the time, but if something is really off, I could end up being late. I feel awful about it, but with bus schedules to account for every random circumstance I'd have to allot an extra hour or half hour and always get to places horrendously early. Sometimes a scheduled bus just doesn't show up, or sometimes odder things - a car clipped the bus and we all had to fill out witness sheets, etc.