The dentist’s reminder said PLEASE ARRIVE TEN MINUTES EARLY.
Gerald arrived at 10:40 for an eleven o’clock appointment. The receptionist checked his name and gave him a form. He filled it in, read a magazine, and watched the clock pass eleven.
At 11:15 he went back to the desk. “Is the dentist running late?”
“No,” said the receptionist. “Your appointment is at eleven tomorrow.”
Gerald showed her the reminder on his phone. “It says to arrive early.”
“Ten minutes early,” she said. “You’ve arrived twenty-four hours and twenty minutes early.”
“Then I’d like my choice of magazines,” Gerald said. “I’ve got time to read them all.”