The US Transportation Security Administration has prompted an online debate after suggesting passengers could bring hammocks to airports to rest during long layovers. The advice drew attention because, while it may offer a novel way to relax, using a hammock in a busy terminal could affect space, safety and other travellers’ comfort.

In a social-media post for National Hammock Day, the TSA said that nobody had said travellers could not bring a hammock to an airport. It advised passengers to check with the individual airport about where they could hang a “napping apparatus”, acknowledging that local rules and etiquette would determine whether it was practical.