Airport's New ‘Hug Time’ Limit Sparks Debate: ‘Is Nothing Sacred?’

A New Zealand airport has sparked a major debate over its new “maximum hug time” sign in the disembarkation area.

In a press release shared by Dunedin Airport in late September, it was announced that there would be a three-minute limit on the time passengers have to say goodbye to their loved ones.

To enforce the new rule, the airport, located in Momona, New Zealand, posted signs at the landing area that read “Maximum hug time 3 minutes,” followed by “For a gentler goodbye, please use a car package.”

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Dunedin Airport.

Alamy

The airport’s CEO, Daniel De Bono, explains the rationale for the new signs in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

“We recently relocated our drop-off area to improve security and traffic flow at Dunedin Airport. To keep things running smoothly, we put up new signs, including a ‘Maximum Hug Time 3 Minutes’ sign,” says De Bono. “It’s our way of being a bit quirky and reminding people that the drop-off zone is for quick goodbyes.”

He continues: “And don’t worry – just a 20-second hug is enough to release oxytocin and serotonin, the happy hormones that promote well-being, so three minutes is enough time to say goodbye and get your dose of happiness! For longer departures, we recommend using the parking lot, where the first 15 minutes are free.”

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A couple hugs at the airport.

Getty

De Bono also spoke about the messages during an interview with Radio New Zealand (RNZ), in which he explained that the signs were designed with “a bit of fun” in mind as airport drop-off locations “can be quite intense”.

He then admitted that the caption “caused quite a stir” because people aren’t happy to be told “how long can we hug each other”, he says.

Despite the backlash, the CEO notes, “We only have so much space in that area to land. Too many people are spending too much time on their gentler farewells in the departure zone and there is no room for others.”

Violators will be asked to “politely move to the car park” where they can say a longer goodbye, De Bono added. “Nothing more than that, we won’t call the police for hugs. That would be crazy.”

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The new signs went viral in a Facebook post published on October 9, with many commenters voicing their outraged opinions.

“You can’t put a time limit on hugs! It’s inhumane,” one person wrote, while another added: “This is insane. Now they set the rules about parting? Is nothing sacred?”

Another user joked: “At first I thought there was a subscription service you had to pay for so you could hug longer.”

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Some then jumped in and compared the new rule to their experience in the United States.

One said: “You would never see that in an American airport! 3 minutes?? FORWARD!!!”

Another added: “You got 3 minutes to hug?? In America they don’t even want you to stop. Just roll gently and push your passenger out. I’m serious.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education