Work can be unpredictable, especially when you have something urgent and you can’t be replaced in the meeting.

Not everyone understands this and there are many ways to handle it. See how this person did.

AITA for setting up a meeting with a friend & cancelling it last minute?

I have started my own business. We are primarily into design and animation. I wanted to onboard and partner with a few people who have strong design and animation skills.

I got in touch with a friend who is in her mid-40s. After a casual chat, I mentioned that I would like to have a more formal discussion virtually.

Unfortunately, this has not gone smoothly.

She told me to “block her calendar” and sent me a link to book a date and time, which I promptly did.

Thirty minutes before the meeting, I got pulled into some pressing matters and realized I wouldn’t be able to make it to the meeting with my friend. I quickly, without wasting time, sent her a message saying, “Sorry, I got another call at 11.”

By then, I had already opened her calendar app to rebook another slot, but nothing was free until the next week. So I sent her another message saying, “Your calendar is blocked till next week :(”

It escalated from there.

My friend got a bit ticked off and replied, “Which is why I schedule these things well in advance. Please give me more notice for cancellations. Or rather, schedule only if you are 100% sure you can make it.”

This ticked me off further since it wasn’t intentional. I tried my best to let her know as soon as I found out about the clash. I told her I would have appreciated it if the calendar app had also shown up in my calendar so that I could have been more prompt in my communication.

To this, she replied, “Have the courtesy to at least apologize when you don’t show up. Don’t blame calendars and tech.”

I feel like this was unnecessarily blown out of proportion and didn’t have to be so bitter.

Here is what folks are saying.

Exactly. Not tactful and very rude.

I don’t get it either.

Basically, “It’s okay if I disrespect you and your work time because you’re my friend.”

VERY poor. A red flag. At least own it.

Not exactly the makings of a fruitful partnership.

OP is a red flag.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.