A Social Experiment: Free Hug!

[The Ambrosian]

But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

I know someone who has, and i'm from Birmingham.
And you can buy "Free Hugs" shirts, I saw someone with one on in town, and me and my friends hugged him, so yeah, might as well do it.

 

[Little Duck]

Oh, I'm Scottish too.

I think you'll get a hug from someone sooner or later, but probably not too much.

If you do it, take pics, please.

What kind of hug pervert are you? (meant in jest)

I think people in the UK are either horrendously extrovert or massively introvert about random encounters. So every now and then, some one will come up and hug you for hours/ claim multiple hugs/ cause mass group hug, but must will just ignore you and be all like what are you on?

If you have the confidence to do it though you'll have a lot of fun. Go for it man.

 

[Jedamethis]

Sure I'd hug somebody who didn't look suspicious.

[HEADING=2]*inconspicuous plug*[/HEADING]

 

[Danny Ocean]

Only if its a female.

AHA! I was waiting for someone to bring up this point!

Why only if it was a female? Why would you not hug a guy?

It's a simple thought process.

If you're a man, you don't hug random men. That is gay.

If you're a woman, you don't hug random men, because all men are perverts and *will* grope you.

If you're a man, you always try and hug random women, because you're a pervert.

If you're a woman, you can hug random women, because they are not a threat.

It's retarded, but a lot of people think like that.

There was a few people giving out free hugs at bestival, they went down well. Then again, bestival is a weird festival, even compared to other festivals.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Go for it! I'd hug you. Even though you are a guy. The world could use some more free hugs going around. I imagine that it would make people more happy in general.

But as a social experiment I think it's an interesting idea. See just how many people are actually give a totally random stranger a hug on a normal day.

I'd just be careful with who you hug and how you do it. It might come off as creepy if you hug certain people in a weird way, like kids or chicks...

 

[Padwolf]

I say you should go for it! a free hug brightens days, and it sounds like an interesting experiment, I would be interested to see the results

 

[JanatUrlich]

I'm from England and there's someone in Manchester City Centre pretty much everyday with a 'Free Hugs' sign.

It's not really that big a deal dude, and yeah of course I give them a hug haha

 

[TehCookie]

Depends on how you look. If you look like you just want to spread the love I'm fine with it. If you look suspicious I'm keeping away.

 

[Zera_in_a_can]

I think as long as you're careful, it should be fine. Maybe you should wait for someone to approach you for a hug, rather than approach a random bystander. It sounds like a lot of fun! Just smile at people and be inviting.

 

[TheScottishFella]

I like the idea of free hugs for two reasons;
One is I like hugs in general, from friends to married couples to complete strangers, more or less everyone likes a hug.

And two because I'm a friendly person like that who would gladly go out and hug random strangers if I knew I wouldn't get thrown in a police cell for it.....

Which brings me to the main point of this thread.
A social experiment in my home city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. Going out into the street with a big sign saying "FREE HUGS" and seeing how long it takes before I get arrested people accepting hugs from me.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in America where I can imagine it would be alot more socially acceptable. But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

Dito in town where you going to do it and when if you do it do it during a weekday lunchtime at Union square or something. Also get a friend to hug you in a big crowd that should get the ball rolling

 

[The Afrodactyl]

Squee! Free hugs!

As far as I'm aware, you'll be arrested for this. Unless it's a music festival, then you can get any with pretty much anything.

I say go for it, and when the police arrive, hug them into submission!

 

[Joe Myers]

Some friends and I used to do Free Hugs Day here at the university and results were pretty mixed. We had some people who'd be really into it and hug you, but most everyone else seemed to ignore us and then scurry away to post mean things about us on the internet. (Don't ask me what they sought to gain from it.) It was fun, all in all, but from experience? Don't heckle people. We had some guys who'd call out random passers-by to come get a free hug and all they got were some disturbed glances.

 

[Blind Sight]

I had a buddy of mine do this in Vancouver during the Olympics, after the Canadians won the gold in hockey he changed it to 'Free Canadian Hugs for Americans'. I don't think he got anybody after that.

 

[Gizmo007666]

I like the idea of free hugs for two reasons;
One is I like hugs in general, from friends to married couples to complete strangers, more or less everyone likes a hug.

And two because I'm a friendly person like that who would gladly go out and hug random strangers if I knew I wouldn't get thrown in a police cell for it.....

Which brings me to the main point of this thread.
A social experiment in my home city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. Going out into the street with a big sign saying "FREE HUGS" and seeing how long it takes before I get arrested people accepting hugs from me.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in America where I can imagine it would be alot more socially acceptable. But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

I'll be honest usually I'll just save hugs for lasses that I'm friends with, but seeing as you've made a topic about it just tell me the time and date and I'll come out and give you a hug (if for nothing else than to throw off your results and have it as a matter of seconds before you got hugged )

 

[TimeLord]

I like the idea of free hugs for two reasons;
One is I like hugs in general, from friends to married couples to complete strangers, more or less everyone likes a hug.

And two because I'm a friendly person like that who would gladly go out and hug random strangers if I knew I wouldn't get thrown in a police cell for it.....

Which brings me to the main point of this thread.
A social experiment in my home city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. Going out into the street with a big sign saying "FREE HUGS" and seeing how long it takes before I get arrested people accepting hugs from me.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in America where I can imagine it would be alot more socially acceptable. But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

I'll be honest usually I'll just save hugs for lasses that I'm friends with, but seeing as you've made a topic about it just tell me the time and date and I'll come out and give you a hug (if for nothing else than to throw off your results and have it as a matter of seconds before you got hugged )

Are you an Aberdonian yourself? If so: Tuesday, midday at Union Sq.

 

[Stephanos132]

Surely all hugs are free? I don't recall ever having to exchange currency for one...

 

[thiosk]

Dude, people do this all the time. And its usually pretty hippy-girls.

 

[Daffy F]

I like the idea of free hugs for two reasons;
One is I like hugs in general, from friends to married couples to complete strangers, more or less everyone likes a hug.

And two because I'm a friendly person like that who would gladly go out and hug random strangers if I knew I wouldn't get thrown in a police cell for it.....

Which brings me to the main point of this thread.
A social experiment in my home city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. Going out into the street with a big sign saying "FREE HUGS" and seeing how long it takes before I get arrested people accepting hugs from me.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in America where I can imagine it would be alot more socially acceptable. But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

I'd like a free hug, does that count? Incidentally, I think it might even be more socially acceptable over here. People in the UK always seem to be more accepting or my own randomness/wackiness, and Americans never seem to understand it.
Anyway, moving forward, you should create a kind of harness to hang hot-water-bottles around your neck so you can give warm and refreshing hugs to strangers! 1 free hug please!

 

[Gizmo007666]

I like the idea of free hugs for two reasons;
One is I like hugs in general, from friends to married couples to complete strangers, more or less everyone likes a hug.

And two because I'm a friendly person like that who would gladly go out and hug random strangers if I knew I wouldn't get thrown in a police cell for it.....

Which brings me to the main point of this thread.
A social experiment in my home city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. Going out into the street with a big sign saying "FREE HUGS" and seeing how long it takes before I get arrested people accepting hugs from me.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in America where I can imagine it would be alot more socially acceptable. But I have never heard of anything like it in the UK.

So what do you think? Bad idea? Good idea? Or will I end up with no wallet and 6 hours in a cell by the end of the day?
And also, would you hug a complete stranger holding a sign that said "FREE HUGS"?

I'll be honest usually I'll just save hugs for lasses that I'm friends with, but seeing as you've made a topic about it just tell me the time and date and I'll come out and give you a hug (if for nothing else than to throw off your results and have it as a matter of seconds before you got hugged )

Are you an Aberdonian yourself? If so: Tuesday, midday at Union Sq.

As good as, only live a few minutes away, will try to make it in but might be busy with uni coursework.

 

[Private Custard]

There was a guy at Speakers Corner last year talking about how everyone is fine, just the way they are. He finished by offering free hugs and then got everyone hugging everyone else.

Yes, I hugged numerous strangers that day.

I might be a bitter, cynical bastard a lot of the time, but I do like hugs!!