My close friend Alan is chronically late, and not by a little. Anyone who knows him understands he's utterly undependable, often arriving an hour late—if he shows up at all. Yet, people tolerate this frustrating trait because he's one of the funniest and most charming individuals you'll ever meet.
One memorable occasion illustrates this perfectly. A group of us, including Alan, planned to meet at Brent's house at 8:00 PM for a quick drink before an 8:30 dinner reservation. By 9:30, Alan still hadn't arrived. Everyone was hungry and furious, especially Brent, who had already called the restaurant three times.
Just as we decided to leave without him, Alan appeared. As we were piling into Brent's car, Brent had to clear some items from the back seat to make room. Only Alan could have quipped, "Gee, Brent, you had an hour and a half. Couldn't you at least get the car cleaned out?" The ensuing laughter made us all forget our hunger and anger.