Dunedin: Goodbyes at airports are always emotional, but Dunedin airport in New Zealand, just put a clock on them. Travellers now have a strict three-minute hug limit in the drop-off zone to avoid traffic jams.
Signs boldly declare: “Max hug time 3 minutes.” If you’re feeling extra sentimental, you’re asked to go to the parking lot for those drawn-out farewells. ” For fonder farewells please use the car park,” the signs add.
Max hug time 3 minutes
Imposed in September, this “hug cap” is all about keeping the drop-off area moving smoothly, according to airport CEO Dan De Bono. He explained that the goal is to remind people that this is for “quick goodbyes only.”
Naturally, social media had a field day. Some were outraged, accusing the airport of trampling on the sacred right to hug freely. Others found it amusing, embracing the change. One user joked, “You can’t put a time limit on hugs! That’s inhumane.” Another chimed in, “Three minutes? That’s plenty. Hugs only take ten seconds!”
New Zealand airport farewell time limit
“We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for,” De Bono told AP. He added that other people welcomed the change.
The signs are definitely a friendlier touch compared to other airports that threaten wheel clamping or slap fines on lingering drivers. In the UK, some airports even charge for drop-offs—regardless of how fast they are!
Dunedin’s airport decided to take a “quirky” approach, according to CEO Dan De Bono.
He explained that three minutes is plenty of time to pull up, say goodbye and move on. The time limit is just a gentler way of saying, “Get on with it.”
He further said that a 20-second hug is more than enough to release the feel-good hormones oxytocin and serotonin. Anything longer just gets “really awkward.”
But don’t worry — there’s no official “hug police” patrolling the area. If things get too lovey-dovey, passengers may simply be asked to relocate their lingering farewells to the parking lot, where they can enjoy 15 minutes of free cuddling time!
