There is a phrase that I hear practically every day and�that, on most occassions, makes me cringe. Sometimes it's on the job, sometimes it's at my weekely bible study group, or at church.

The phrase is "Sorry I'm late." What follows is almost always an explanation that embarrasses the listeners far more than it does the speaker. The excuse is usually pretty�weak and almost always could have been avoided with a little planning. I am not really bothered so much with the present lateness as much as I am with the fact that the offenders are usually frequent recidivists.