Kicker: No long goodbyes

NICK EICHER, HOST: Anyone who’s dropped off a friend or loved one at the airport should relate to this one.

In New Zealand somebody’s doing something about a real problem: Loooong goodbyes. They put up a sign with a graphic of two people hugging, with the words: “Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park.”

Well! The airport’s chief executive Dan De Bono got an earful over that. Audio here from Radio New Zealand:

DAN DE BONO: People going, “Oh, you can’t tell us how long we can hug for.” It’s really about enabling enough space for others to also have hugs, right?

Right! I’m with you, friend.

The idea is to keep the traffic flow going and not impose more drastic measures like fines for lengthy PDA. And the airport boss has science to back him: 

DE BONO: It turns out you need 20 seconds to get the oxytocin and serotonin release from a hug. Anything less you don’t get the heavy hormones, and anything longer, I guess maybe get into the awkward territory.

Those in the awkward territory will get a gentle reminder to take it elsewhere.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

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