A New Zealand airport has been slammed as ‘inhumane’, and sparked worldwide interest, for putting a time limit on a very basic human emotion.
Dunedin, which is on the south-east of New Zealand’s South Island, is one of the world’s most southerly cities and known for its cold winters and general climate of cloud-covered gloom.
But its inhabitants had never been considered cold… until now. And it’s all the fault of Dunedin Airport’s shocking new three-minute time limit on hugging.
The airport, which is a further 27km south of the city, has coldly instituted the cuddle crackdown in its drop-off zone to avoid holding up other passengers.
And just when any deprived huggers thought the sign couldn’t get any crueller, it adds ‘For fonder farewells please use the car park.’
The response on social media has been mixed, though. ‘You can’t put a time limit on hugs! That’s inhumane,’ wrote one.
But another welcomed it and wants to see the policy expanded, writing ‘OMG school drop off lines need a similar sign (Max hug time 10 sec).’
For others, the sign gave them deep thoughts. ‘This got me thinking…. Who are the people I would hug for 3 minutes? There are a very few, mostly family, and a dear long time friend,’ one said.
The airport’s chief executive Daniel De Bono was unrepentant, though, telling Radio New Zealand that three minutes for a hug goodbye was plenty.
Mr De Bono said airports are ‘hotbeds of emotion’ and pointed to a study suggesting a 20-second hug is enough to get a burst of the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin.
He said moving passengers along quickly allows more people to get more hugs.
Some online commenters expressed their astonishment at an airport still having a free drop-off area at all.
A commenter from the UK said Dunedin Airport’s policy ‘shows warmth and compassion.
‘(In) my local airport it would be “you can’t stop there” – there’s a £100 fine if you stop and a minimum £5 to drop someone off in the drop-off zone.’
Others saw the humorous side of the time limit, with one writing: ‘I can see the airport worker now… 2:56, 2:57, 2:58, 2:59 OK time to break it up!’
Mr De Bono said part of the reason for the cuddle curfew was that ‘our team have seen interesting things go on … over the years’.
The hugs study he referred to in saying a 20-second hug was enough to trigger the oxytocin response in humans, also found that ‘warm partner contact is related to lower cardiovascular reactivity’.
In layman’s terms, that means a hug reduces your heart rate and calms you.
The study did not research the effect on a person’s heart if a hug happens under a sign telling them to hurry up and get on with it.
