Clock is ticking: Airport limits goodbye hugs to 3 minutes

An airport wants the drop-off goodbye to be short, real short.

No more staring into each other’s eyes for an eternity, saying how much you’ll miss the other person.

New Zealand’s Dunedin Airport officials have set the clock at three minutes for the goodbye hugs in drop-off zones, CNN reported.

The airport authority posted new signs that said, “Max hug time 3 minutes, for fonder farewells please use the car park.”

One said “It’s hard to say goodbye so make it quick. 3 minutes max,” NBC News reported.

Some responses on one Facebook post said “You can’t put a time limit on hugs” while others tell those who need longer than three minutes to “Get a room.”

One commenter asked if he could share his extra minute with someone who needs a little longer time to say goodbye, or even profit from it by selling the extra minute on eBay. Others suggest that the “max hug time” sign also be hung at the pickup location.

CEO Daniel De Bono said that 20 seconds is long enough of a hug to get a rush of oxytocin that the physical connection gives, CNN reported. He said that making the hug time shorter will allow more people to get their hugs.

Michael Banissy said the three-minute limit may not be enough for everyone, and that there is more to it than just a simple hug.

“Context and quality of the hug are crucial,” as “for some people, time limits might undermine the natural, comforting nature of hugging, potentially preventing individuals from fully experiencing a farewell hug’s emotional and physiological rewards,” Banissy, the head of psychological since at the University of Bristol, told NBC News.

The limit, in Banissy’s opinion, may “undermine the natural, comforting nature of hugging,” and “potentially prevent individuals from fully experiencing the physiological rewards.”

If more hug context, quality and comfort are needed, the parking lot, where people are directed to go for longer hugs provides 15 minutes of free parking, CNN reported.

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