Arriving at events on time is difficult, especially if you rely on someone else to drive you. Sometimes things just happen, events outside your control, and you are late, and there's no getting around that. But if you're late to an event like a tournament and it starts without you, you're going to miss it. You need to give yourself enough time to arrive early or close to start, so that if something DOES go wrong, you have enough time left that you can still arrive before an event, like a tournament, begins.
Here is a step by step guide on how to do this:
I have some examples for you.
I had an appointment to go to an event venue on 3PM on a Saturday to talk to the venue manager.
First, I aim to get there half an hour early, at 2:30, because who knows just what may happen? Stop signs, speed traps, or even coyote attacks. I gave myself extra time, in case of each of these possibilities.
Second, I am half an hour away from the venue. It's Saturday afternoon traffic, and my driver (me) knows there isn't going to be traffic along that route on Saturday. So I add that half an hour of time. If there is the possibility of traffic, I would have given myself another 15 minutes.
Third, I have never been there before. I added half an hour, in case I get lost (I will, and do).
Fourth, I understand that there are no parking garages at the place I'm going, that it is street parking only, and I will have to parallel park, something I am terrible at. I give myself an extra 15 minutes.
Fifth, I gas up my car the night before, so I don't run out of gas in the middle of the trip.
According to these rules, I should leave 1 hour and 45 minutes early, at 1:15 PM.
Now I tell the driver (myself) when I should leave. I agree, and I leave at that time.
I get there a little early, but at least I'm not late.
Here is a second example.
I am attending a tournament that is not my own. It begins at Noon.
I aim to get there half an hour early, +30
I am half an hour away from the tournament, +30
I have been there before, +0
There is street parking only, +15
I gas up my car the day before.
I leave 1 hour and 15 minutes early, and I am not late for the tournament.
Try this method! You might be early, but at least you won't be horribly demoralized because you missed a tournament!
Here is a step by step guide on how to do this:
- Determine when the start time of the event is. Try to get there at least half an hour before it starts.
- Determine how far away you are from the venue. Find the exact location on Google Maps. Get directions from your home to the venue. See how long Google says it will take you to drive there. Ask your driver if traffic will be different or bad on the day of the event, and add extra time if it will.
- Determine if your driver has driven there before. If they haven't, give yourself half an hour of time extra.
- Determine where parking is. If you know exactly where parking is, and it is easily available and free, good. If you don't, give yourself an extra 15 minutes.
- Add all this time together. 30 minutes early buffer, plus transit time, plus "haven't driven there before" time if needed, plus parking time if needed. That will tell you how long before the event you should leave.
- Check the condition of your vehicle before you leave. Ask your driver if the vehicle has gas. Ask your driver if the vehicle can safely run without exploding. You don't want to run out of gas or explode on the way there.
- Now CONVEY THIS TIME TO YOUR DRIVER. Make sure they understand. Say Please, a lot. If you have to leave 3 hours before an event, then make sure, days ahead of time, that they understand they will need to leave 3 hours before the event exactly.
I have some examples for you.
I had an appointment to go to an event venue on 3PM on a Saturday to talk to the venue manager.
First, I aim to get there half an hour early, at 2:30, because who knows just what may happen? Stop signs, speed traps, or even coyote attacks. I gave myself extra time, in case of each of these possibilities.
Second, I am half an hour away from the venue. It's Saturday afternoon traffic, and my driver (me) knows there isn't going to be traffic along that route on Saturday. So I add that half an hour of time. If there is the possibility of traffic, I would have given myself another 15 minutes.
Third, I have never been there before. I added half an hour, in case I get lost (I will, and do).
Fourth, I understand that there are no parking garages at the place I'm going, that it is street parking only, and I will have to parallel park, something I am terrible at. I give myself an extra 15 minutes.
Fifth, I gas up my car the night before, so I don't run out of gas in the middle of the trip.
According to these rules, I should leave 1 hour and 45 minutes early, at 1:15 PM.
Now I tell the driver (myself) when I should leave. I agree, and I leave at that time.
I get there a little early, but at least I'm not late.
Here is a second example.
I am attending a tournament that is not my own. It begins at Noon.
I aim to get there half an hour early, +30
I am half an hour away from the tournament, +30
I have been there before, +0
There is street parking only, +15
I gas up my car the day before.
I leave 1 hour and 15 minutes early, and I am not late for the tournament.
Try this method! You might be early, but at least you won't be horribly demoralized because you missed a tournament!
