Again?!?

I have many pet peeves (including the term "pet peeves") but one that just really drives me nuts is tardiness, especially when it happens all the time. (Again, another pet peev..., uh, irritation is the word "tardiness" but I digress.)  I just don't understand it.  If you need to be to work at eight, then be there at eight!  Why is that so hard?  In my opinion, it's a lack of priorities and being lazy. 

I mean, let's be honest, we've all been there a time or two but come on, some people are late all the time.  We all know these people. You can just count on it.
We've all heard a ton of excuses but one that just doesn't make any sense can be illustrated by this:  let's say there are two co-workers working in an office, one is always late and the other is always on-time.  The two are talking and the chronically late one states: "...but I live so much further away!"  Who cares!  What difference does it make.  Did you just find that out?  It's not like you went to bed the night before living next to the office and woke up an hour away - Ridiculous!  Just get up and leave earlier.  Why is that such a difficult concept?  There are emergencies but come on, all the time?