We’ve all had to deal with people who are perpetually late. For some, it’s an inability to manage their time, while others come up with bizarre explanations for their delays. Often, we’re left with no choice but to understand and forgive. After all, not everyone gets the “privilege” of running into a giant rat on the stairs that blocks their way down, or having sneaky pets who seem determined to make you late.

1. Almost every morning, I’m late to work because I can’t tear myself away from watching my horoscope on the morning news. If it says something good, I think, “Of course, horoscopes never lie.” If it’s bad, I brush it off: “Horoscopes are nonsense.” That’s just how I am.

2. We needed a new hire at work. We found someone, let’s call him Alex, with a little experience, and paired him with a more seasoned colleague. Two weeks in, after getting his first paycheck, Alex says he needs to head out of town for a wedding but promises to be back Monday, no problem. Monday comes—no Alex. I get worried and call him, and he says, “I’m going to be a little late…until September, urgent matters.” This was around August 15, 2015. We didn’t wait for him, of course, and hired someone else. But the funny part is that on September 2, 2016, my phone rings and it’s Alex, saying, “Hey, it’s me, I’m ready to come back. Can I start tomorrow?” A year and two weeks later! That must’ve been one heck of a wedding.

3. One time, I picked up a cactus from the trash. I was on my way to work and saw this huge cactus—about five feet tall—sitting in a dumpster. I walked past it, cursed under my breath, then turned around and grabbed it. The thing weighed about 30 pounds with the pot. I ended up pricking my hands all over and was late to work. But what could I do? The cactus needed a home, too.

4. I once had a chat with a guy online. We exchanged numbers, talked on the phone, and he said, “I’m on a business trip, but I’ll call you when I’m back, and we can meet.” A week passed, then two, and I didn’t hear from him, so I forgot about it. Five years later, I get a text: “I’m back, how about that date?” I didn’t even remember who he was, but eventually, he jogged my memory.

5. One morning, I was late because it took me 20 minutes to get down from my fifth-floor apartment. A giant rat was sitting on the stairs and wouldn’t let me pass. Knowing how they can jump and attack if threatened, I didn’t dare try to go around it. Meanwhile, the rat wasn’t in a hurry at all, leisurely waddling down step by step. I stomped, made noise, even threw a coin at it, but it couldn’t care less. We just slowly made our way down together until it disappeared into the basement.

6. I’m usually punctual, but once I was late because my toddler took apart my phone and left it on the floor. Naturally, the alarm didn’t go off, and I overslept.

7. Once, I was running late from the psychiatric hospital where I was interning, and it was pouring rain. I saw a car pulling away, and I ran after it, splashing through puddles, waving my arms, and shouting, “Wait! Stop!” It only hit me afterward how crazy I must’ve looked. But what else could I do? The hospital was 25 miles from the city, and my friend and I, both psychiatry interns, had missed the staff bus. Luckily, the driver stopped and gave us a ride, laughing the whole way.

8. I was late to work today by almost two hours because my sick cat needed extra love. She climbed onto my lap and wouldn’t leave, and every time I put her down, she stood on her hind legs, leaning on me with her paws, begging to be held and petted. When I finally got to work, my boss looked at me, heard my excuse, and then showed me pictures of his own cat. He let my lateness slide.

9. I was late to work once and lied about oversleeping because the truth was too ridiculous. But my boss ended up giving me a bonus. Turns out, he saw me earlier that day walking an elderly woman across the street. She was inching along at a snail’s pace, trying to cross a six-lane road with only 20 seconds on the pedestrian light. She told me she had missed several green lights and asked for help. I’d only read about situations like that in books, but I agreed to assist.

10. I’ll say anything: that I overslept, got stuck in traffic, or helped an old lady across the street. But I’ll never admit that I just couldn’t decide what to wear.

11. I started seeing a guy, nothing serious, but we chatted often. One time I called him, and he said, “I’m driving, can’t talk now. I’ll call you back when I get there.” He never called. I didn’t really care, but two months later, he finally did. I’d almost forgotten about him and just asked, “So, how was the drive?”

12. Once, I was late for my train. It was scheduled to leave at 2:48 p.m., and at 2:47, I had just arrived at the subway station. I was mentally preparing to exchange my ticket and wait for the next train, when suddenly, I saw a girl sprinting ahead. Some ancient instinct must have kicked in because I hoisted my heavy suitcase onto my shoulder and took off after her. There were no security gates at the time, so I ran straight onto the platform, just as the train started moving. The girl jumped into one of the cars, and I tossed my bag in after her and climbed in. I never saw her again, but I’ll always be grateful to that stranger who helped me catch my train.

13. My cat made me late for work more times than I’d like to admit. It’s not because he purrs sweetly in my ear; he’s figured out how to snooze my alarm. He taps the screen with his paw as soon as it lights up, and we both keep sleeping. My solution? I now put the phone face down, but I still wake up to the sound of it clattering to the floor, and my cat glaring at me.

14. I swear my Pekingese is in cahoots with some unknown forces. She can’t jump off the furniture on her own, so we always lift her off the couch or bed. One day, I couldn’t lock the front door because the key got stuck. I tried the other lock, but that key got stuck, too. Exhausted, I walked back inside, only to realize what was going on. My little dog was still sitting on the bed, smug as can be.

15. I was once late to work because my roommate, who also happened to be my colleague, locked me in the apartment. He forgot I was still inside and locked the door from the outside. I called him in a panic, and he casually said, “Oh yeah, that was me. Oops. Can’t help you now—I’m at work.” Unbelievable, right? I had to yell out the window until someone walking by heard me and unlocked the door. That person laughed for five minutes straight. And, believe it or not, my roommate did the same thing again the following week! When I called my boss, I just said, “He locked me in again.

Being late is always frustrating, especially when you’re a punctual person. But sometimes, things happen beyond our control, and all that’s left is to laugh at the situation.