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A very long time ago I read a biography of Ronald Reagan, who had the same policy. He was punctilious about being on time, neither early nor late. He would arrive at an appointment 5 minutes early and then wait outside until the precise minute it was scheduled before joining the engagement.

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I tend to do the same, unless the meeting place is somewhere you might go anyway (say a bar or cafe). It's always felt slightly impolite to me to arrive anything more than a minute or two early.

Basketball coaches that would make me run a suicide for every minute that I was late to practice and not out on the floor ready to go, have forever instilled in me the habit of getting places at least fifteen minutes early.

As a rule, I always arrive exactly 15 minutes late to people's houses, I'll even wait in the car. Chances are they are late preparing everything, taking a last minute shower or vacuuming.

Oddly enough, I tend to do that as well. Though that's more through social anxiety than wanting to be exactly on time (I don't want to be late but I don't want to make the meeting host feel awkward either).

I prefer to think of it as being considerate.

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