Have you ever been delayed (who hasn't?) on your way to work, a date or keeping an appointment; what was reason for delay?

I was pulled over for "suspected drunk driving" on my way to work one night. 

It's just before 2 am and there's zero traffic on the freeway.. just me (probably only 2 other cars on all the roadway systems in the entire county).  I drove in lane 1 to avoid a stretch of bad road.  Once past the stretch, I pulled back into lane 2 ... silly me, I forgot to signal (infraction #1).   Suddenly, there's a police cruiser red lighting me.  As per law, I slowed and at the first safe place to pull over I did so (infraction #2).  It seems that A... not signaling to change lanes os a sign of a drunk driver.  B... failure to instantly stop (on a dime?) when red lighted, even though it is extremely NOT SAFE to do so, is a sign of a belligerent driver (I was instantly surrounded by 5 cruisers).  After explaining that I was a manager in the store across the street (why else would I be dressed all spiffy at 2 am) AND there is no smell of alcohol or empty containers rom my truck, the officer apologised.  The crew at work never let me live that one down as they all knew that I never touch alcohol.

I was actually delayed this morning.  The express buses were re-routed because of a vehicle accident.

My usual delay is sitting on my bed in a towel after my shower,  and starring at the ceiling for forty minutes cos I don’t want to move. 

Like there is only one reason.

Right. 

I usually am looking for my car keys at the last minute.  I still have not  gotten a copy key.  I would misplace that too.

My dog ate the directions?? ;)
Man, I have had some "real" reasons and some outrageous excuses. Being on both sides of management in the restaurant/bar business, there have been plenty.
This is my all-time favorite.  I actually believed this person and ended up covering his section because it was too real not to be true:
I was waiting for a parking spot.  The guy driving the car didn't know how to get out of his parking spot and I jumped out to direct him before I was able I get into his spot.
When he finally got out and sped off, some a**hole swooped in front of me and took it.  
I got back in my car and followed the "swooped-in-my-spot-guy" down the sidewalk to tell him what a Mother F***ing, A**hole he was and now I was going to be late for work.
After my tangent, I had to go and find another parking spot.  It was 10 blocks away.  You're lucky I was even able to get to work.  I have my watch set.  I have to feed the meter in 15 minutes and it's a 15-minute walk back to my car.  Do you mind?"  To this day, this one takes the cake. :)

"I was here," she claimed, pointing toward the back.  "I was doing the dishes from last night for the dishwasher who wasn't here!"  He was there.  Granted. He was smoking a cigarette outside.  But, he was there. 
I was getting ice. (Another of my favorites.) 

Recently, my personally bizarre reason (Not excuse) was a traffic experience.  About 3 miles away from our house there is a Catus sign with an arrow pointing up an adjacent road. It's cool.  They sell cactus out of their house and yard.  Some of them are huge. 
One day, there was a huge traffic jam.  Reason being?  Someone had lost a couple of their newly bought cactuses out of the back of their truck and no one wanted to pick them up because they were too prickly.  
It really was and still is rather funny! This post was edited by Merlin at April 25, 2019 7:38 AM MDT

The longest I've been delayed ... about 45 minutes ... was due to a fishing boat going under a draw bridge.
The boat was on the way to a repair shop ... and the engine stopped working right under the bridge, so they couldn't lower the bridge.
The waterway was too shallow for the nearest Coast Guard boat, so they had to send for one from upriver - which would have taken a couple hours.
Thankfully, another fisherman heard the trouble on the Marine Radio Band, and came to tow the boat far enough that they could lower the bridge and get traffic moving.

Once, on my way from Bykle, Norway to Stavanger.  I was delayed about an hour because they were bringing the sheep in from the highlands to transport elsewhere for winter.  I don't know where they were taking them but the total was about 10,000 sheep.  It was one of the coolest things see.
This post was edited by CallMeIshmael at April 25, 2019 7:56 AM MDT

On my way to work...car died during a thunderstorm. It didn't matter, almost everyonr was late that day.
Going to work...two trains. Boss didn'r care.

A number of times over the years, for the most part NBD.  Traffic or transport delays being the most common reason. 

The most absurd was the President was in town for a fund raiser, most of the roads were closed down so the Grand Puba could get to his "Event".  One could get to the office because of the security cordon without an ID identifying you as an employee etc.  At that time Company ID's like that for DT locations were very rare.  Our CEO even blew a gasket because he could not get to the office.

HR saw fit to pay us for a lost day

not that i rernernber