When you can’t be troubled to do the easy stuff like showing up on time, being courteous, dressing as expected, being prepared for meetings, etc., your ability to do the hard stuff is not going to matter much. That’s an important lesson, one many people (like me) had to learn the hard way to get. Try showing up half an hour late for a meeting with the boss at your first job, and see if he strains himself being polite with you. Try coming to a meeting with a consulting client completely and obviously unprepared, and see how that goes for you.

There’s a time for letting someone know, in no uncertain terms, that they’ve fucked up and need to change their approach. Being too polite to do that means you’re not doing your job as a teacher or a boss.

Just because you paid for a service doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want. You can’t take a crap in the middle of a restaurant and say, “I paid $80 for my meal, you can’t tell me what I can do!” When I was in grad school, I always hated self-important jackasses that felt that they didn’t have to operate under the class’ rules because they’re paying tuition. Yeah a lot of professors are d-bags, but it’s their class and their rules (as long as they comply with university policy).

The businessman (importer) who is at the center of this was interviewed on the Lars Larson radio show Friday afternoon…. according to him, he has, on more than one occasion, found that the ATF and/or Customs was (publicly) auctioning off the supposed contraband that had been stolen from him in the past.
The filthy thieving shitbags ain’t even trying to hide it anymore.

But I accept, upon payment of tuition, that I will uphold MY end of the deal – I will come to class, on time, prepared, and turn in assignments. If I don’t do these things, and I am failed, you think I could get angry at the TEACHER? Of course not! I pay the teacher to teach in his own way. If I do not like his policies – on grading, lateness, or curriculum, I am free to take another class or leave the institution. But he should never have to change his policies simply because I do not like them. If enough students dislike the policy, no one will take his class, and he’ll change them on his own. Its like the free market of academia.

But you need to get permission prior to doing so – it is not only disrespectful to the prof, who will now have to waste class time handing you a syllabus and answering the questions you inevitably have, but to the students who DID show up on time and now have to deal with your lateness.

To avoid this situation, ask for a syllabus before the first day – better yet, when registering, ask for 15 minutes of the professors time to discuss the objectives of the course. Not only will he be thrilled to talk to a student who is interested in his subject, he will be impressed with your initiative.

This kid is lazy and he is unfortunate that he won’t get to take a class with a professor that will exemplify the high standards that will be expected of him upon graduation.

#6–Why exactly do you contact the professor before hand if you know you’re going to be late? Does that somehow make arriving late less disruptive?

It’s called courtesy. And yes, it can, if you enter quickly and sit down quietly, having turned off all your e-paraphenalia in advance.

As to the fines for businesses that defy smoking bans. Business people should never be unwillingly drafted into the role of enforcers. Cops pull over speeders, parking enforcement ticket cars why should the bar owner do for free what you are paying other people to do, especially at the cost of their own business? If you want to enforce the ban, pay for enforcement officers and harass the people that break the actual law.

Respect? Where’s the prof’s respect for the student? You act like it’s some huge hit the prof takes if a student comes late to class. Like I said before, it’s the students’ loss, not the prof’s.

And your assumption, while perfectly reasonable, would be wrong.

I have taught at a very expensive, very prestigious school, and have had to deal with *exactly* the sort of entitled mentality that the student’s email typifies. I have had students be half an hour late to *exams*. I have had students who missed 1/3 of the lectures protest their grades. Cell phones go off, people talk, etc., etc.

Now, this behavior isn’t “typical” in that the vast majority of my students do behave exactly as you would expect high achieving young adults to behave. But it is hardly unusual.

But then one good example will put the others on notice!

My psych prof in the 60s simply locked the door, as did many others. You didn’t come late or you missed the class. It is called Respect.