Norwegian authority to high school students: ‘No sex in public spaces’

High school students in Norway take part in a month-long celebration called “Russ” which involves challenging public norms, partying and heavy drinking. (Source: Getty Images)

Completing school education is a matter of celebration, no doubt. Teachers organise farewell for the students, bidding them goodbyes as they step into a new phase of their lives. Cut to Norway, the celebrations take a rather bizarre route apparently. According to Reuters, high school students take part in a month-long celebration called “Russ” which involves challenging public norms, partying and heavy drinking. While partying might not sound much alien to a lot of us, ‘challenging public norms’ include students having sex in public on roundabouts. But it seems the celebrations, which start on April 20 and ends on Norway’s national day – May 17, might not be as outrageous as it has been all this while, because former minister of transport Terje Moe Gustavsen wants to stop the high school students’ revelry.

Now running the Public Roads Administration, Gustavsen thinks students having public sex on roundabouts might be “too much of a surprise” for drivers.

The festivities include riding around towns in vans painted blue or red, consuming enormous amounts of alcohol and indulging outrageously in nudity and sex.

Story continues below this ad

“Everyone understands that being in and around roundabouts is a traffic hazard,” Gustavsson was quoted saying in a press statement.

“It may not be so dangerous for someone to be without clothes on the bridge, but drivers can get too much of a surprise and completely forget they are driving,” he added, saying that Russ should be a happy time to think back on.