They say love never runs on time but partings, at a New Zealand airport at least, are now set at just three minutes.
Dunedin airport, in the nation’s far south, has erected signs imposing the strict time limit on farewells at its drop-off zone to prevent congestion.
“Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park,” the signs instruct , depicting two figures embracing.
The new rule was mocked on social media
Daniel De Bono, the airport’s chief executive, took to Radio New Zealand to defend the move after social media posts, both within New Zealand and internationally, questioned the airport’s ending of the longer goodbye.
One person wrote: “I can see the airport worker now… 2:56, 2:57, 2:58, 2:59, OK time to break it up!”
De Bono was