A ‘cuddle cap’ has been introduced at an airport in New Zealand to prevent emotional farewells from clogging up traffic.
A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs has been introduced at Dunedin airport's drop-off area to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
Signs have been put up outside the terminal warning "Max hug time three minutes," adding that those seeking "fonder farewells" should head to the airport's parking lot instead.
The cuddle cap was imposed in September to "keep things moving smoothly" in the redesigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport, CEO Dan De Bono told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
It was the airport's way of reminding people that the zone was for "quick farewells" only.
De Bono said the signs have polarised social media users.
"We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for," he said, adding that others had welcomed the change.
The signs were meant as an alternative to those at other airports warning of wheel clamping or fines for drivers parked in drop-off areas.
Some in Britain have imposed fees for all drop-offs — however brief.
Dunedin's airport — a modest terminal serving a city of 135,000 people on New Zealand's South Island — preferred a "quirky" approach, De Bono said.
Three minutes was "plenty of time to pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on," he said. "The time limit is really a nicer way of saying, you know, get on with it."
A 20-second hug is long enough to release the wellbeing-boosting hormones oxytocin and serotonin, De Bono said. Anything longer was "really awkward."
But the CEO has reassured passengers that they will not face action if they’re holding on to their loved ones for too long. "We do not have hug police," De Bono added.
Visitors might, however, be asked to move their lingering embraces to the parking lot, where they can cuddle free of charge for up to 15 minutes.
