Tardiness will not be tolerated.

The Romanian delegate has had enough. He is not content to sit and wait, becoming increasingly late for work, as the Caucasia-NCA delegate, and then bTexas take their sweet ass time getting to the proscribed meeting points. Today, he mutinied. When his (American-made) watch ticked past the time to leave, he left, passenger seats empty. First, he left the Caucasia-NCA delegate at his house, then bTexas at the Frozen Dairy Treat Franchise that is his designated meeting spot. The Romanian’s cell phone had died, so he couldn’t call to tell them he was leaving them, but no matter. They were late, and they had it coming.
When he arrived at the Restaurant for Truck Drivers and the Elderly that is the meeting place for the PRL and Vietnamese delegates, on time for the first time in months, he requested a phone call be made to the errant delegates. “We are waiting for the Romanian!” they claimed. “He is here!” the PRL delegate explained, “You were late!” If you have ever seen a cartoon where the character holds the phone away from their head, while various symbols that substitute for expletives stream out of the earpiece, then you have an idea of how bTexas reacted to this revelation.
Despite the Romanian’s protestations, the decision to wait for those slowpoke delegates was made, in the spirit of equanimity. Additionally, this allowed the Romanian delegate to harangue bTexas and Caucasia-NCA for several minutes on their rampant tardiness. Watches were synchronized, and the PRL delegate fell asleep in the back of the minivan, safe from the disgruntled glares of offended delegates on both sides of the issue.


As the minivan departed, carrying bTexas and the Romanian delegate to their end of the plant, the other 3 delegates stood in the mist and watched as it receded towards the nitrogen tank. “Oh crap,” muttered the Vietnamese delegate, “I forgot my drink in the cupholder.” Now his drink this afternoon will be 2 ounces of hot, watered down soda.