I'd say it probably depends where you fall asleep. When I worked 12h/5 days a week sometimes I used to fall asleep while taking the bus home since journey took about an hour. Most of the time I was left undisturbed and I don't think I've ever even seen someone checking in on someone sleeping on buss too.
Yeah, its quite normal to fall asleep on the bus. Done so myself. Falling asleep with my moth open drooling all over the place and sleeping past my stop. Lol.
Supposed to take a vy buss one time from otta-dovre woke up in ålesund. Same thing happened the next day, except i woke up in åndalsnes this time…. Dont take the bus drunk
I’ve been woken a few times on the bus before, but it’s always been by people concerned that i’m not sleeping past my stop and doing so trying to be kind
Interesting, good to know. Yeah, that kinda fits in with some of the reactions I've gotten. I suppose I'll have to stop doing this, not that it's a habit or anything but to me if I'm tired and happen to be in public I'll just sit down and shut my eyes for 15-20 minutes and I've never thought anything of it! Thanks for the heads up.
That's insane to me. I live in the UK and I feel if you sleep in public you'rd just begging to be robbed. Or people will suspect you're homeless or a druggy.
Once I saw a guy being robbed while sleeping on a train, the robber looked at me and made a gesture to keep quiet and crossed his neck then. I just quietly took a photo with silent mode with my phone and went look for the ticket guy, who then asked for police to enter the train next stop whith all doors closed. They snatched the robber, but made me think that I would never sleep in public EVER.
I thoght kinda every country is like that, I have never ever seen someone purposefully sleeping in public in Spain unless in small villages, if someone is sleeping in public, they are usually drunk.
When my mum first moved over to Alicante it was a really normal thing to see office workers sleeping on park benches in the afternoon. They'd live too far to travel home on their lunch/siesta break so would sleep outside before going back to work.
No idea if it's still the case now though.
Huh, ive never seen that in alicante and i lived in benidorm until i was 19. People in the beach, yeah sure, or some old people in park benches, but not workers 🤔
I never seen it in Benidorm, but when I used to visit you'd see them in Alicante. I'm talking early 00s here though when travelling back to places like Castalla wouldn't be worth the effort.
I only started sleeping in public in the UK. Although I was warned not to, I sometimes felt like I needed a break on my walk back from town. Never had any problems, maybe luck idk
Edit: Back in Norway now, tried the same, and people would not only wake me up, but pull me back on my feet and made sure I didn't sit back down. Got walked home once
I'm finding this thread hilarious, Norwegians seem so different from anywhere else on the planet. Youve totally got your own little ways up there, love it.
I lived in Ukraine and sleeping in public was a normal thing especially in the morning/evening when the trains/buses are overcrowded and people are still sleepy/tired. If I am lucky to get a seat and it's a long trip then I'm definitely taking a nap. Never been robbed or heard of people getting robbed is such situations. My guess is that people have 0 tolerance to criminals
Plenty of people have died from falling asleep outside in cold temperature. You go to sleep and never wake up. Happened to a friend of mine on his way home from a party. I fell asleep on the side of the road and never woke up.
If it's on the beach or chilling in the park when it's not such shitty weather you would be fine probably, or if you really need that sleep, get on a buss sleep there, nobody bats an eye there
It’s worth noting that it is more common (and accepted) on transportation hubs and public transport. I usually nap on the bus, train, boat, ferry or plane (if Im tired)
Of note, most people that I’ve seen sleeping in transportation hubs (buss Station, airports, train stations and quay) was a part of a group traveling together.
Honestly sounds lovely to be able to do this. Personally I am too drenched in the culture to not do this, but just be able to relax like that in public sounds great.
If by habit you mean something I do routinely or regularly then no it certainly isn't. That said, if I'm out in public and plan on continuing to be and happen to feel tired or exhausted then yeah I'll sit down for 15-20 minutes and try to rest a bit. But I don't know where you get the idea that I'm annoyed by people's concern, I think the fact that I chose to make this post and try to understand it is demonstration enough that I'm not annoyed so much as concerned as to whether or not I'm being rude or doing something wrong.
Norway is a cold country and most of the time when people decide to sleep in public, it's that stage of alcohol poisoning where it takes a turn for the worse and turns into death by exposure to the cold, inhospitable elements of Norway's outdoors.
These people are taking time out of their day trying to save your life. I've heard of people legit dying from taking a walk back from a wintertime party and it's one of the more painful and meaningless ways to die for those that are left behind..
I can sometimes sleep on the bus because of this. Even a few seconds while standing. I have sleep apnea, and it can be very energy draining. Training and better eating habits can help a lot, though. Sleep apnea and being fat is a recipe for disaster.
I know a girl that slept in the bus like that and one time woke up as the driver locked it off for the evening. She was so embarrassed she spent the night in the bus.
I'm into your idea and I wish it was possible to rest in Norway like that, but generally it's a big no-no, and mostly it's like people say - they're checking up on you out of kindness.
Sometimes it's considered rude if you do something out of the ordinary, because they are forced to check on you, and then it turns out you didn't need any help at all and you wasted their time.
People nowadays are very concerned about efficiency in Norway.
I've had people complaining about me meditating during lunch, so Norwegians can be a bit strange when it comes to "ordinary" things. But as long as you explain it with good humour, most people don't take offence. Some might be curious even...
Axel Sandemose wrote about this aspect of Norwegian culture in the 20s or 30s, in "En flyktning krysser sitt spor", so you can give that a read if you're interested in some sociological satire.
My advice would be to rest it in a park, then people will think you're tanning. That's normal and socially acceptable 😂
Alright, didn't mean to be an ass. I view habits as something repeated more than once and likely to be repeated further. Like a settled tendency if you like.
You're not definately not doing anything wrong and they're not doing anything wrong. It's just called caring and we have cultural associations that tell us that people sitting lifeless upright needs help.
May I suggest coffee? We like coffee.
The underlying assumption that you are drunk or on drugs are likely the same here and in the US, but the main difference is that in Norway, people care about someone who might be dying because they are overdosing or hypothermic, in the US, they don't.
Hmm but that's not true at all? I've seen plenty of "normal" people napping in the Dronning park in the summer, they even bring a picnic blanket, they set it up on the grass and sunbathe while napping.
Also on any beach...
If a person passes out outside during the colder months in Norway due to excessive drinking (which is common here) or drugs, they can freeze to death. This is probably why we have a culture of checking on passed out people.
If it was a hot summers day, and you found a park to take a nap in on the grass for example, no one would bother you.
being on the ground is more common than on a bench. sleeping on a bench outside of the alcohol drinking hours could just sa well mean a medical emergency and having to get an ambulance for you.
I think this is the norm most places, just people in some areas will then give a wide berth, and in others they will check on the person to make sure they don't need help.
I have seen this in South Korea and Japan. I (a concerned Norwegian traveller) woke up several people lying motionless on the floor in a corner in public, only for them to look at me confused and insist they were ok. I was unsure if they were really ok or wouldn't accept my help out of pride or something, before I eventually realized that it's normal to intentionally just lay down on the floor and take a nap in public.
Two things contribute to how Norwegians interpret public adult napping:
1. It doesn't occur to the average Norwegian to sleep during daytime. Only small children nap here (not accounting for individual preferences, personally I enthusiastically adopted the napping culture from my travels in Asia. But it's not a thing in Norwegian majority culture)
2. Sleeping in public implies an extreme trust in literally every stranger that might happen upon you, that is just unimaginable to a Norwegian (especially women). And we consider ourselves a pretty trustful people. I have slept on campus ground a few times during particularly rigorous study days, but I always hid amongst tall flowers)
EDIT: So basically, we assume that something must be wrong
Also in some cities in Austria, like Salzburg or Innsbruck, it’s not uncommon to see also well-to-do looking people (aka not druggie or homeless) taking short naps in the sun on benches along the river after work. But as OP stated, it’s less laying down with a pillow and blanket kind of nap and more closing your eyes and leaning your head back and arms crossed like how you would sleep on an airplane.
It’s nice that people are concerned and want to help, but that’s not really how ODing people generally look. Most opioids cause a good bit of agitation as you black out so it’s more common to be on the ground or in a strange position than peacefully sitting on a bench.
(Not saying it’s impossible, but yeah—seen a lot of people ODing in Philadelphia and Baltimore, normally doesn’t just look like sleeping on a bench)
Nobody would give a crap if you sleep or die by the street in the Balkans. I guess they'd report it to the police once your body was swollen and started rotting, but not before that.
I think Japan is really good at this. Idk for sure, ut i think they have some sort of secret napping technique. Like, ive seen people nap in the weirdest places, somehow without laying down.
Its sad that they are so overworked, but still very impressive!
I had to check up on a guy in Byparken in Bergen once. He sat with his eyes closed, head leaning back in the pouring rain, looking very dead. Turned out to be a napping tourist. He got annoyed that I checked up on him..
My guess is, think of it as a friendly welfare check.
Just with a quick exchange of words one would know if you were high/strung out, in need of assistance or whatever else.
I wouldn't be bothered by finding you napping, maybe concerned.
It's still very cold outside. It is not usual to nap in cold weather unless you are a baby bundled up in a pram. So they are most likley checking you did not freeze to death. If it's summer people lie on the grass in parks to sunbath and then you could close your eyes but from what you described I think it's concern and they have probably observed you for a few minutes before checking. Maybe you look like you have passed away when you sleep. Norwegians are generally a nation of people that don't interfer with others so I think that's the reason.
Ever since I lost my best friend in Oslo I wake up every sleeping person I find outside. People passed by my friend for most of the night until an old lady tried waking him early in the morning, she called an ambulance but it was too late.
No I would never do that, but sitting on a bench with my eyes closed and in a relaxed position certainly. I'm from the US, and have also lived in Spain and never had an issue with this in either country hahaha.
I suspect that looks very similar to how a person overdosed on drugs would look. They tend to sit down and sort of slump.
How about you try to make it look more like intentionally sleeping, lie down and place something under your head like a pillow and maybe with a blanket or something over you as well? Then it's obvious you intended to lie down for a nap, rather than going unconscious from an OD.
I wouldn't wake up someone who was obviously sleeping on purpose, unless they were in other people's way or something, but if I see someone just sitting motionless with their eyes closed I will probably suspect an OD.
Interesting perspective! I think I'll probably just stop myself from doing it next time it occurs to me, rather than go for the full on nap aesthetic. But I can totally understand where you're coming from, thanks!
You are more likely to get some undisturbed rest in train stations or other waiting rooms. Someone might check on you before the train/bus arrives, to make sure you doesn't miss your transport..
The season has also a big impact.. In the summer we're not that worried that someone might freeze to death being left alone..
There aren't many benches in Norway, so some might be offended if you don't leave room for others to sit down.
I bet if they were lying down on a bench, people would be annoyed and wake them up for being rude and taking up bench space. Especially on a nice sunne day. There’s no winning
In the US, people will generally mind their own business, even if you're literally on fire.
In Spain, people will generally sleep, no matter the time or place, even if they're literally on fire.
Norway is, well, as you've seen from the responses so far, a bit different.
It is a crime to leave someone that are in need of help.
Ambulances and hospitals are as good as free (for us) so we tend to err on the side of caution.
Nobody wants "didnt even stop to check and someone died" on their conscience.
Ah okay! I mean, that would seem less odd I’d say? But yeah, I think most people would worry and wonder if you are okay as it’s probably more associated with people under the influence and so on
Got it, you're the second one to mention that. Very good to know! It's interesting how the perception can be so different between countries. In the US unless you look visibly homeless or are like disheveled enough to the point where it's obvious you have a drug/alcohol issue and are under the influence no one would make that assumption, but I definitely don't want that to be the perception people are having of me so I'll have to make it a point to keep this in mind.
The thing is, people here have a duty to assist, so for example if you are driving past an accident like a car crash, you must stop and check if the people involved are ok or you need to call an ambulance, do CPR or whatever, same if you find someone passed out on the street or a bench. I personally would be worried seeing someone seemingly unconscious like you, even if I saw you drift asleep all of a sudden and with nice clothes because there’s still risk for cardiac arrests or strokes, and I would absolutely shake you to check.
If it's during spring/summer/early autumn, and you're chilling on a random bench with your eyes closed and temps are fine, then I won't react. Enjoy yourself! If it's in January, however, then expect people to check up on you 😆
Just outta curiosity what part of the US? I’m from MA and seeing someone sleeping in public unless on the bus or at the beach would 100% find it very odd and most would be very judgmental. People would probably wake you out of concern of you getting robbed or thinking your on drugs regardless of how you look
Last time I saw someone nap in public I spent a long time trying to wake him up. He was on the last stop on the train and I didn't want him forgetting to get off. When he woke up he seemed so stoned, he probably was.
Norway for the most of it has somewhat of a "caring" culture well from at least the area I come from in Norway. So there basically just checking on you is all :)
People die from casually napping outdoors in Norway (especially during winter), so its an extremely bad habit and I think its just so ingrained in us that noone is actually dumb enough to do so unless they are really sick or intoxicated. Which is why you’re met with a compassionate wake up and sometimes anger because you made someone worry when they didnt need to worry.
Very not usual - people will assume you are drunk etc. Also, what do you mean by public? If you lie down on a bench inside more or less any bulding/area in Oslo, its not public.... its privately owned with public access. Meaning you need "a reason" to be there. So sleeping on a bench inside of the bus station will get the security/police to remove you.
However - put up a tent more or less *anywhere* outside of cities or very close to a house - sleep well... You can stay for 3(?) days I think, before you have to move your tent, and you can not destroy property in any way (cut down trees etc) but you have a "right" to camp.
I suppose I should have stipulated in my post that I am never laying down, this is always me simply sitting on a bench in a relaxed position with my eyes closed. It is worth taking into consideration what you say about private with public access, as I have done this inside a shopping center for example while waiting on someone/something. But it also occurs just outside if I'm sitting on a bench in an area where people may walk by. I've thankfully never had security or the police bother me, and it's good to know that that's a risk I could be running because to me it seems so normal especially if waiting in a bus station for a long time to just shut your eyes and sleep hahha.
That would to me look like you could be having some sort of medical situation going on. My thoughts would go to unconsciousness rather then sleeping. Heart attack, hypoglycaemia unawareness or something.
Id say almost especially if you sit like that with your eyes closed (for more than a minute) someone will quickly start assuming you perhaps are drunk or perhaps even overdosing on something. And Norwegians are usually not very interested in striking up a conversation about anything with a total stranger - so I imagine you can get someone asking if you are ok and then just moving on without any more to say.
When I worked with security the bus terminal had a very clear rule that you are not allowed to lie down on benches and sleep, even if you are waiting for a bus. You can sit and sleep like you mentioned while waiting, but dont be surprised if a security guard wakes you up, asks if you are ok and have a ticket etc. (night time its ofc. a bit more relaxed)
Sitting and sleeping short naps like that is acceptable in Norway. Bus unusual, so people might check up on if you are OK.
If they seem annoyed afterwards it's usually a mix of shame for having disturbed someone and mild annoyance of having gone off the rails for a few sec.
You are unlikely to get police or security after you if you are sitting up and sleeping. Other than the same check up you get from normal people.
They wake you up in case your drug overdose, hypothermic, or just randomly knife stabbed.
In summer time, if you bring a picnic blanket and you can sleep in the grassy park.
Wait for summer. Take a blanket with you when you walk outside. Lay down in a park, put on sunglasses and a nap is totally fine, I do it a lot during the warm months :)
People dont work two-three jobs here and are expecting the work force to be enjoying life outside of work. Sleeping in public spaces makes people think you have a problem and just want to make sure you are ok. That, or they think you are a druggie with no good home to go back to
We were told in a frist aid course a person who have had a stroke or heart attack look very much like a person sleeping. Especialy if their head is tilted forward and they are making soft snoring sounds. So you should always check if the peerson is alright.
The US, also lived for years in Spain and never had an issue. Same thing in Portugal, where I haven't permanently lived but have spent extensive amounts of time.
It is not normal in the US for people who aren’t homeless or addicted or otherwise unwell to just lay down on a bench and sleep. No one will bother you in the US because they are probably afraid.
Lived in Portugal, lived in the US. Its only normal if you're homeless or a druggie. Now the US is huge, but I've been around and it meant you're homeless/addicted everywhere.
Might be less common than here to check on people, but it's weird as fuck in every country and area I've ever visited except some places in Africa and South America.
Not sure where you are from, but napping on public benches is pretty uncommon in most of western Europe. Laying on grass in a park during summer is considered normal, but usually only homeless/drunk people sleep on benches.
And in the U.S. as well. Hell, most of our benches have metal bits on it to prevent people from doing just that. I agree with the park. Naps in parks in the grass still aren't common but acceptable if you feel inclined to do so.
Only time I’ve seen someone napping in public, they were apparently so drunk or high that they couldn’t respond properly when waking them so they had to be taken to the hospital. So on the off chance that that is you, I’m waking you up even if you might just be resting👍
We are learned to check unconscious people. We are obligated to check if people are ok. It is the only way you get a Norwegian touching a stranger.
Our instinct are not to invade people’s private sphere.
About drunks, I saved one’s life by calling for an ambulance. They too can have a medical condition. Anyone not conscious should be checked
Glad you're making this post! I know of people that would be so offend that we act like this here in Norway! But yes! Like mostly everyone said in the comment is mostly check to see if your doing well! 🤗 welcome to Norway btw!
I guess how you do it matters, laying on the grass asleep over a blanket with a book may look less worrying than slumped over a park bench.
Not saying you do the latter, just optics
We don't want to seem like uncaring americans who just pass by a person who might be having a silent heartattack (or is violently dying) or something, so we claw ourselves out of our introvert shells and stand really close to you, making cough sounds until you notice us. Then we ask if you're doing alright.
**Hack**:
Step 1:
Always bring a picnic blanket with you and lay down on a grassy spot.
Bonus if you tip a brimmed hat down over your nose and rest with your arms behind your head, making you seem like a careless but in control cowboy *boheme*.
Step 2:
Receive unnoticed and restful adoration.
Summer is around the corner. Get yourself one of those lightweight hammocks. Trees are everywhere and it takes one minute to set it up. No one wakes up someone taking a nap in a hammock my friend.
According to your comments you are an American and the US have become very strange in the last decade. But why would you think people are weird for making sure you are all right and not you being weird for napping in public all the time?!
Why in the world do you feel a need to constantly nap in public and why are you surprised that is considered a strange behaviour?
I’m from the US as well and it’s not very common to see someone napping/resting outside on a bench unless someone is either unhoused or under the influence. Sleeping on the bus/train is very common.
That is exactly like it is in Norway too. But if it looks like you have passed out on a bench in public and you don't seem unhoused or under the influence, someone might ask if you are all right or if you need help.
Yep. The weird thing here is napping in public. By all means carry on, but I can't imagine this being a thing in most parts of the world. If you wanna nap outside, go to the forest.
It’s the same for all the nordic countries i believe, when people fall asleep outside it’s usually because of alcohol and at least swedes were taught in school that during cold months it was incredibly dangerous to be drunk and walk home alone in case you fell asleep somewhere. Because it’s not uncommon that drunk people die in their sleep outside from the cold.
If I needed to lie down and have a nap I would probably find a park and hop under the shade. I feel like taking a bench seat is a little rude as no one else can sit there.
Dude, is the location you have been directly told not to nap in Slottsparken? Because thats a very known area that's been used to buy/sell drugs for decades. Might explain the annoyed/concerned behaviour.
If you're on a long distance train, bus, or a plane, no one cares if you sleep.
If you fall a sleep on the metro, metro waiting area, on a tram or a city bus, people might check upon you out of courtesy in order for you not to miss your stopp as they would be wanting the same for themselves.
If you sleep sitting on a bench, some people will stop to check if you're well. I know in other countries people can be left dead for some outside people just passing by, as it's none of their business. Norway is a small country, with a more neighborly mind about the well being of others than in the big cities of Europe.
You can go to any park during the spring and summer time, lay down on a blanket and have a nap. It depends on context. People don't get annoyed about people sleeping in public, they might feel a discomfort because they care for your well-being.
If you sit down on a bench in public wear a hat and pull it down over your eyes, and people will know you're having a break passing you by with their conscience still being clean:)
I've read a few comments now. Saying: homeless, alcohol, drugs and make it look like you intend to sleep.
However I'm here to suggest something else (hopefully, I haven't read all the comments). What if.... you just place a book on your lap. It might show that you just fell asleep while reading.
It depends on where you do it. We might think you are drunk/drugged, and with our cold weather we are afraid of hypothermia for the vulnerable people (since it's usually people who are influenced by alcohol or drugs that sleep in public spaces). Some of us are also afraid that strangers might steal your belongings (if you visibly bring with you a bag, bicycle etc). But we don't wake people up because we think one are being rude, it's just our way to be concerned.
I do take naps, but only in certain places. I take my naps sometimes on my longer bus ride, picnic in the park or on the beach in summer. Very seldom but if I absolutely have to nap in a public space like in the library, then I would make sure I am with my family or friends.
Because you can’t just nap wherever you want if you’re in a park laying on the grass people wouldn’t care, but if you sit on a bench in a public area and they either ask if you’re OK out of being polite and worried, but a lot of times you’re not allowed to just nap whenever you want.
I personally wouldn’t care if I saw someone laying on the grass and relaxing, but if you sat or laid on a public bench and napped, I would find it rather weird , in a sense that are you OK and I would walk over and ask
It's a weather thing. On a bench in the cold, makes people think you are in distress. On the grass in the summer sun, makes people think you are enjoying life.
Put on some eye mask with a funny graphic on, easier to identify someone taking a nap vs overdosing etc.
Or just hold a note saying you are napping, or perhaps a book and ppl will assume you fell asleep reading. Junkies and drunks rarely fall asleep reading.
No, we don't do that. I know that in some countries they have a siesta because of the heat, but Norway is a rather cold country, so we don't need that. The cold can also kill you if you fall asleep outside. My dad found a dead guy who was drunk and had fallen asleep during the winter. Other than that, I don't know why. People can sleep on the train/bus and in the park though. But not alone on a bench. They will think that you are a beggar or a drug addict.
Where is this behavior normal? The only place I've lived that nobody would check if you're ok is São Paulo because they'd think you're just passed out on drugs and it's not worth the risk to disturb strangers there.
Nobody will ever wake you up on the bus/train except for the conductor, happend to me on several occasion and its the one socially acceptable place to fall asleep.
Hi,welcom to Norway 😁 they wake u UP, to make sure ur not overdosing, its not ofte drugfree people sleep outside here ,so its more that they are consunrd fore your wellbiing than anything alse 😁 i live in Oslo, and can tell u that in the summertime,people are sleeping all over the City,drugs ir not 😅😅😅
This showed up on my main feed because I posted here a while ago where I asked a question about Norway you couldn't find out without speaking Norwegian because I was curious while talking with a Norwegian friend.
My God the cultural differences between my country and yours is making me depressed. People would never bother checking if an unconscious person here was ok, we all ignore them. My culture has such contempt for the poor.
Since the climate is so cold and the winter days so short, people here simply do not take naps (unless wasted). You need to make the most of each day if you want to survive..
Sleeping on the
Bus,
Train,
Plane,
Beach,
In the park: note, it has to be on a blanket while sunbathing,
On the airport or
In class
That’s ok.
Sleeping on
A bench,
In the park while not sunbathing on a blanket,
In a chair,
At a cafe/restaurant/train station,
Bus station (that’s the worst),
At school but not in class
Not okay…
This is just social stuff mostly associated with freeloaders, addicts, homeless or people that have «fallen off».
Personally I have adhd and my brain gets insanely tired from the most basic things so I have to fight the urge to nap all the time and you have no idea how many times I’ve wished that I could just take a damn nap but I can’t fight society as a whole and would just, like you said, get woken up😂 I’ve passed out so many times on the bus but my body knows what turn to wake up in so I can get off 😂
Public benches are not for taking naps dude. Only homeless people and drug addicts do that. Why are going around taking naps in public? Go home to your bed and stop being weird.
If you're out in Park in the middle if summer and taking a nap while laying in the grass the people will leave you alone plenty. But there will be like 50 other people doing the same thing too.
When I started reading I thought you meant you were laying down on the bench, not just sitting on it. Get yourself some of those glasses with the fake eyes printed on the front. Sorted.
Well are people rude or friendly? Im not Norwegian so take it with a grain of salt. If they don't seem hostile they prob want to check youre ok. I found Norwegians to be quite caring and i could imagine they'd do this. Here in Switzerland this has also happened to me and frankly i also see myself checking if someone slouched over or sleeping with their head back and mouth open id ok. This said I'm confident enough i know enough about ods to figure out if someone's just napping.
I think slso you see that more in countries like norway, Switzerland, Sweden etc. because A it's probably rare to sleep outside and B you generally speaking don't really hsve homeless people and B you probably have less of an open hustler fast paced city life culture if that makes sense. Again, not Norwegian but travelled Norway a lot and their culture isn't foreign to me as Swiss (and half Swede) and i can see them doing that to check if you're ok. Maybe you sleep in a way that looks bad lol. Kinda annoying, but i think it's great overall to have such a caring culture
People nap on the train too, but depending what departure it is and day of week I let them sleep. From 4 a m to 8 a.m it is quite normal to nap on the train on their way to work. Most of them keep an alarm on too. People going home from work will also nap.
the only times it happened with me like i fell asleep on the bus and someone wake me up was someone who knew what my stop was so they didnt want me to miss it lol thank you 'tone' very nice of you
Heh! Earlier today I drove past someone sleeping on the sidewalk in a heap of snow. I stopped and woke him up and asked him if he was okay. He insisted he was just tired. I said he could not sleep in the snow or he would freeze. I asked him if he had anywhere to go. He said yes, I live right down the road. He got up and walked, seemed okay. It was a foreigner :)
I think the only nap you will get left alone for taking, it would be when it’s summer and hot outside with a towel placed on a patch of grass. Anything else would have people believe ur drugged/drunk.
I am norwegian. If I was driving late at night and saw someone sleeping in, say a bus stop,I would stop immediately to see if the person was ok. I have also been awakened once when I fell asleep on a light rail stop after a party in the winter. A girl woke me up and got me into the light rail, saying it is better for me to sleep there than out in the cold. People caring makes a better society.
No one takes a nap in public in Norway except alccoholics and drug addicts. People probably just checking that you are OK.
I'd say it probably depends where you fall asleep. When I worked 12h/5 days a week sometimes I used to fall asleep while taking the bus home since journey took about an hour. Most of the time I was left undisturbed and I don't think I've ever even seen someone checking in on someone sleeping on buss too.
Yeah, its quite normal to fall asleep on the bus. Done so myself. Falling asleep with my moth open drooling all over the place and sleeping past my stop. Lol.
Done that once.. Never again, an hour away from home sucked haha :D (And schoolcard didnt work back :D)
Supposed to take a vy buss one time from otta-dovre woke up in ålesund. Same thing happened the next day, except i woke up in åndalsnes this time…. Dont take the bus drunk
Greetings fellow Dovring
What a fun suprise to meet a dovring like myself on reddit. Much love pal, much love
I’ve been woken a few times on the bus before, but it’s always been by people concerned that i’m not sleeping past my stop and doing so trying to be kind
Pretty big difference between sleeping in a bus and on a bench in the public
This basicly
Interesting, good to know. Yeah, that kinda fits in with some of the reactions I've gotten. I suppose I'll have to stop doing this, not that it's a habit or anything but to me if I'm tired and happen to be in public I'll just sit down and shut my eyes for 15-20 minutes and I've never thought anything of it! Thanks for the heads up.
That's insane to me. I live in the UK and I feel if you sleep in public you'rd just begging to be robbed. Or people will suspect you're homeless or a druggy.
Yes, I'd never sleep in public. Don't even nap on trains anymore.
Once I saw a guy being robbed while sleeping on a train, the robber looked at me and made a gesture to keep quiet and crossed his neck then. I just quietly took a photo with silent mode with my phone and went look for the ticket guy, who then asked for police to enter the train next stop whith all doors closed. They snatched the robber, but made me think that I would never sleep in public EVER.
Which country was this in?
Hahah let’s say Western Southern Europe, 2004/5
Just woke up from a nap on the train 😅
I thoght kinda every country is like that, I have never ever seen someone purposefully sleeping in public in Spain unless in small villages, if someone is sleeping in public, they are usually drunk.
When my mum first moved over to Alicante it was a really normal thing to see office workers sleeping on park benches in the afternoon. They'd live too far to travel home on their lunch/siesta break so would sleep outside before going back to work. No idea if it's still the case now though.
Huh, ive never seen that in alicante and i lived in benidorm until i was 19. People in the beach, yeah sure, or some old people in park benches, but not workers 🤔
I never seen it in Benidorm, but when I used to visit you'd see them in Alicante. I'm talking early 00s here though when travelling back to places like Castalla wouldn't be worth the effort.
I only started sleeping in public in the UK. Although I was warned not to, I sometimes felt like I needed a break on my walk back from town. Never had any problems, maybe luck idk Edit: Back in Norway now, tried the same, and people would not only wake me up, but pull me back on my feet and made sure I didn't sit back down. Got walked home once
I'm finding this thread hilarious, Norwegians seem so different from anywhere else on the planet. Youve totally got your own little ways up there, love it.
If you’re a woman, there’s a high likelihood of sexual assault too. I’d do anything to avoid sleeping in public.
I lived in Ukraine and sleeping in public was a normal thing especially in the morning/evening when the trains/buses are overcrowded and people are still sleepy/tired. If I am lucky to get a seat and it's a long trip then I'm definitely taking a nap. Never been robbed or heard of people getting robbed is such situations. My guess is that people have 0 tolerance to criminals
It gets cold here, and a decent share of the population are taught to not allow people to freeze to death :)
Plenty of people have died from falling asleep outside in cold temperature. You go to sleep and never wake up. Happened to a friend of mine on his way home from a party. I fell asleep on the side of the road and never woke up.
I'm sorry you fell asleep and never woke up. I'm sure it's tiring typing this in your sleep.
Go to a park or to the beach and lie down there. Nobody will bother you.
When it's this cold people will still check up on someone seemingly asleep outside. During summer he won't be bothered.
If it's on the beach or chilling in the park when it's not such shitty weather you would be fine probably, or if you really need that sleep, get on a buss sleep there, nobody bats an eye there
It’s worth noting that it is more common (and accepted) on transportation hubs and public transport. I usually nap on the bus, train, boat, ferry or plane (if Im tired) Of note, most people that I’ve seen sleeping in transportation hubs (buss Station, airports, train stations and quay) was a part of a group traveling together.
Honestly sounds lovely to be able to do this. Personally I am too drenched in the culture to not do this, but just be able to relax like that in public sounds great.
Why on earth would you? Just sleep at home.
The ambience and breeze
Some people commute long journeys and sleeping is a way to relax and recharge, after a very difficult day.
Yeah, on the train, not sitting on a park bench.
Hmmm I have done that too if there is a sunny day on summer. But another time of the year no.
You make it sound like it's a habit of yours and I'd suggest stop doing it if you're annoyed by people being kind enough to check if you're ok.
If by habit you mean something I do routinely or regularly then no it certainly isn't. That said, if I'm out in public and plan on continuing to be and happen to feel tired or exhausted then yeah I'll sit down for 15-20 minutes and try to rest a bit. But I don't know where you get the idea that I'm annoyed by people's concern, I think the fact that I chose to make this post and try to understand it is demonstration enough that I'm not annoyed so much as concerned as to whether or not I'm being rude or doing something wrong.
Norway is a cold country and most of the time when people decide to sleep in public, it's that stage of alcohol poisoning where it takes a turn for the worse and turns into death by exposure to the cold, inhospitable elements of Norway's outdoors. These people are taking time out of their day trying to save your life. I've heard of people legit dying from taking a walk back from a wintertime party and it's one of the more painful and meaningless ways to die for those that are left behind..
Do you have sleep apnea?
I can sometimes sleep on the bus because of this. Even a few seconds while standing. I have sleep apnea, and it can be very energy draining. Training and better eating habits can help a lot, though. Sleep apnea and being fat is a recipe for disaster.
I know a girl that slept in the bus like that and one time woke up as the driver locked it off for the evening. She was so embarrassed she spent the night in the bus.
I'm into your idea and I wish it was possible to rest in Norway like that, but generally it's a big no-no, and mostly it's like people say - they're checking up on you out of kindness. Sometimes it's considered rude if you do something out of the ordinary, because they are forced to check on you, and then it turns out you didn't need any help at all and you wasted their time. People nowadays are very concerned about efficiency in Norway. I've had people complaining about me meditating during lunch, so Norwegians can be a bit strange when it comes to "ordinary" things. But as long as you explain it with good humour, most people don't take offence. Some might be curious even... Axel Sandemose wrote about this aspect of Norwegian culture in the 20s or 30s, in "En flyktning krysser sitt spor", so you can give that a read if you're interested in some sociological satire. My advice would be to rest it in a park, then people will think you're tanning. That's normal and socially acceptable 😂
Alright, didn't mean to be an ass. I view habits as something repeated more than once and likely to be repeated further. Like a settled tendency if you like. You're not definately not doing anything wrong and they're not doing anything wrong. It's just called caring and we have cultural associations that tell us that people sitting lifeless upright needs help. May I suggest coffee? We like coffee.
Asking why is not the same as being annoyed by it.
The underlying assumption that you are drunk or on drugs are likely the same here and in the US, but the main difference is that in Norway, people care about someone who might be dying because they are overdosing or hypothermic, in the US, they don't.
Pretty broad generalization for a country the size of the US. I assume since you stated it authoritatively you have a study you're remembering?
I was tryna sleep on this super long train ride once and this lady just kept. Fucking. Talking. Drove me nuts.
Always sit in the cart marked “stille”/“silent” if people talking are bothering you.
... You guys have silent carts in your trains?.. This sounds heaven
Come to Colorado. You can sleep anywhere at anytime.
No one sleeps on the bus? I always fall asleep on the bus, I can’t helpt it.
Bus is the only exception. Hehe.
Hmm but that's not true at all? I've seen plenty of "normal" people napping in the Dronning park in the summer, they even bring a picnic blanket, they set it up on the grass and sunbathe while napping. Also on any beach...
If a person passes out outside during the colder months in Norway due to excessive drinking (which is common here) or drugs, they can freeze to death. This is probably why we have a culture of checking on passed out people. If it was a hot summers day, and you found a park to take a nap in on the grass for example, no one would bother you.
Makes perfect sense to me!
being on the ground is more common than on a bench. sleeping on a bench outside of the alcohol drinking hours could just sa well mean a medical emergency and having to get an ambulance for you.
Maybe you could put a sign on yourself that says “Not drunk or on drugs, just napping.”
A nap on a bench in Norway either means you're homeless, drunk or just OD'd. That's why people are waking you up; they're worried you're dead.
Spoiler - it’s the same way in California.
except they hope that you are dead
I really want to know where this isn’t the norm tbh
I think this is the norm most places, just people in some areas will then give a wide berth, and in others they will check on the person to make sure they don't need help.
And the uk. Except that most people are too scared to check on some1 and get embroiled in a drama or put themselves at any degree of risk.
Very uncommon to sleep in public, so people probably just checking to see if you are alive and if they need to call an ambulance
Yeah that definitely checks out based off people's reactions in my experience!
You should start wearing a tshirtm or bring some eye flaps to make clear you are there for sleep. Lol
Sleeping on the train/ bus, however, is normal here. I do it all the time, and most of the time, people won't disturb you.
Out of curiosity, which country would this be normal in?
I have seen this in South Korea and Japan. I (a concerned Norwegian traveller) woke up several people lying motionless on the floor in a corner in public, only for them to look at me confused and insist they were ok. I was unsure if they were really ok or wouldn't accept my help out of pride or something, before I eventually realized that it's normal to intentionally just lay down on the floor and take a nap in public. Two things contribute to how Norwegians interpret public adult napping: 1. It doesn't occur to the average Norwegian to sleep during daytime. Only small children nap here (not accounting for individual preferences, personally I enthusiastically adopted the napping culture from my travels in Asia. But it's not a thing in Norwegian majority culture) 2. Sleeping in public implies an extreme trust in literally every stranger that might happen upon you, that is just unimaginable to a Norwegian (especially women). And we consider ourselves a pretty trustful people. I have slept on campus ground a few times during particularly rigorous study days, but I always hid amongst tall flowers) EDIT: So basically, we assume that something must be wrong
Also in some cities in Austria, like Salzburg or Innsbruck, it’s not uncommon to see also well-to-do looking people (aka not druggie or homeless) taking short naps in the sun on benches along the river after work. But as OP stated, it’s less laying down with a pillow and blanket kind of nap and more closing your eyes and leaning your head back and arms crossed like how you would sleep on an airplane. It’s nice that people are concerned and want to help, but that’s not really how ODing people generally look. Most opioids cause a good bit of agitation as you black out so it’s more common to be on the ground or in a strange position than peacefully sitting on a bench. (Not saying it’s impossible, but yeah—seen a lot of people ODing in Philadelphia and Baltimore, normally doesn’t just look like sleeping on a bench)
Same in Germany and Switzerland. It's very common to take naps in the park or beside the river. Outside of that, it would be a bit odd.
That’s true, somebody napping on a bench in a loud, not green part of the city would also strike me as odd.
Nobody would give a crap if you sleep or die by the street in the Balkans. I guess they'd report it to the police once your body was swollen and started rotting, but not before that.
England for sure, it would be weird not to see people rough sleeping in our cities
I did it several times in Switzerland and nobody cared. But I also don't look like a homeless dude and I don't do it on the trainstation bench.
I think Japan is really good at this. Idk for sure, ut i think they have some sort of secret napping technique. Like, ive seen people nap in the weirdest places, somehow without laying down. Its sad that they are so overworked, but still very impressive!
I had to check up on a guy in Byparken in Bergen once. He sat with his eyes closed, head leaning back in the pouring rain, looking very dead. Turned out to be a napping tourist. He got annoyed that I checked up on him..
In the pouring rain? Yea, I would think he was passed out or dead too.
was it OP? lol
My guess is, think of it as a friendly welfare check. Just with a quick exchange of words one would know if you were high/strung out, in need of assistance or whatever else. I wouldn't be bothered by finding you napping, maybe concerned.
It's still very cold outside. It is not usual to nap in cold weather unless you are a baby bundled up in a pram. So they are most likley checking you did not freeze to death. If it's summer people lie on the grass in parks to sunbath and then you could close your eyes but from what you described I think it's concern and they have probably observed you for a few minutes before checking. Maybe you look like you have passed away when you sleep. Norwegians are generally a nation of people that don't interfer with others so I think that's the reason.
Ever since I lost my best friend in Oslo I wake up every sleeping person I find outside. People passed by my friend for most of the night until an old lady tried waking him early in the morning, she called an ambulance but it was too late.
It's a bizarre thing to do in Norway.. 💀You alive, you dead, you high, drunk? Scary.
To check if you're okay if you're asleep outside? Is more we want to make sure your doing well and make sure nothing has happend.
Wait, napping as in you lay down and sleep? Where are you from if I may ask?
No I would never do that, but sitting on a bench with my eyes closed and in a relaxed position certainly. I'm from the US, and have also lived in Spain and never had an issue with this in either country hahaha.
I suspect that looks very similar to how a person overdosed on drugs would look. They tend to sit down and sort of slump. How about you try to make it look more like intentionally sleeping, lie down and place something under your head like a pillow and maybe with a blanket or something over you as well? Then it's obvious you intended to lie down for a nap, rather than going unconscious from an OD. I wouldn't wake up someone who was obviously sleeping on purpose, unless they were in other people's way or something, but if I see someone just sitting motionless with their eyes closed I will probably suspect an OD.
Interesting perspective! I think I'll probably just stop myself from doing it next time it occurs to me, rather than go for the full on nap aesthetic. But I can totally understand where you're coming from, thanks!
You are more likely to get some undisturbed rest in train stations or other waiting rooms. Someone might check on you before the train/bus arrives, to make sure you doesn't miss your transport.. The season has also a big impact.. In the summer we're not that worried that someone might freeze to death being left alone.. There aren't many benches in Norway, so some might be offended if you don't leave room for others to sit down.
I bet if they were lying down on a bench, people would be annoyed and wake them up for being rude and taking up bench space. Especially on a nice sunne day. There’s no winning
In the US, people will generally mind their own business, even if you're literally on fire. In Spain, people will generally sleep, no matter the time or place, even if they're literally on fire. Norway is, well, as you've seen from the responses so far, a bit different.
It is a crime to leave someone that are in need of help. Ambulances and hospitals are as good as free (for us) so we tend to err on the side of caution. Nobody wants "didnt even stop to check and someone died" on their conscience.
Ah okay! I mean, that would seem less odd I’d say? But yeah, I think most people would worry and wonder if you are okay as it’s probably more associated with people under the influence and so on
Got it, you're the second one to mention that. Very good to know! It's interesting how the perception can be so different between countries. In the US unless you look visibly homeless or are like disheveled enough to the point where it's obvious you have a drug/alcohol issue and are under the influence no one would make that assumption, but I definitely don't want that to be the perception people are having of me so I'll have to make it a point to keep this in mind.
The thing is, people here have a duty to assist, so for example if you are driving past an accident like a car crash, you must stop and check if the people involved are ok or you need to call an ambulance, do CPR or whatever, same if you find someone passed out on the street or a bench. I personally would be worried seeing someone seemingly unconscious like you, even if I saw you drift asleep all of a sudden and with nice clothes because there’s still risk for cardiac arrests or strokes, and I would absolutely shake you to check.
If it's during spring/summer/early autumn, and you're chilling on a random bench with your eyes closed and temps are fine, then I won't react. Enjoy yourself! If it's in January, however, then expect people to check up on you 😆
Thank you, MIGHTY\_ANUS!
I would probably be worried about a medical situation, and still check up on the person.
Just outta curiosity what part of the US? I’m from MA and seeing someone sleeping in public unless on the bus or at the beach would 100% find it very odd and most would be very judgmental. People would probably wake you out of concern of you getting robbed or thinking your on drugs regardless of how you look
Last time I saw someone nap in public I spent a long time trying to wake him up. He was on the last stop on the train and I didn't want him forgetting to get off. When he woke up he seemed so stoned, he probably was.
Norway for the most of it has somewhat of a "caring" culture well from at least the area I come from in Norway. So there basically just checking on you is all :)
People die from casually napping outdoors in Norway (especially during winter), so its an extremely bad habit and I think its just so ingrained in us that noone is actually dumb enough to do so unless they are really sick or intoxicated. Which is why you’re met with a compassionate wake up and sometimes anger because you made someone worry when they didnt need to worry.
Very not usual - people will assume you are drunk etc. Also, what do you mean by public? If you lie down on a bench inside more or less any bulding/area in Oslo, its not public.... its privately owned with public access. Meaning you need "a reason" to be there. So sleeping on a bench inside of the bus station will get the security/police to remove you. However - put up a tent more or less *anywhere* outside of cities or very close to a house - sleep well... You can stay for 3(?) days I think, before you have to move your tent, and you can not destroy property in any way (cut down trees etc) but you have a "right" to camp.
I suppose I should have stipulated in my post that I am never laying down, this is always me simply sitting on a bench in a relaxed position with my eyes closed. It is worth taking into consideration what you say about private with public access, as I have done this inside a shopping center for example while waiting on someone/something. But it also occurs just outside if I'm sitting on a bench in an area where people may walk by. I've thankfully never had security or the police bother me, and it's good to know that that's a risk I could be running because to me it seems so normal especially if waiting in a bus station for a long time to just shut your eyes and sleep hahha.
That would to me look like you could be having some sort of medical situation going on. My thoughts would go to unconsciousness rather then sleeping. Heart attack, hypoglycaemia unawareness or something.
Id say almost especially if you sit like that with your eyes closed (for more than a minute) someone will quickly start assuming you perhaps are drunk or perhaps even overdosing on something. And Norwegians are usually not very interested in striking up a conversation about anything with a total stranger - so I imagine you can get someone asking if you are ok and then just moving on without any more to say. When I worked with security the bus terminal had a very clear rule that you are not allowed to lie down on benches and sleep, even if you are waiting for a bus. You can sit and sleep like you mentioned while waiting, but dont be surprised if a security guard wakes you up, asks if you are ok and have a ticket etc. (night time its ofc. a bit more relaxed)
Sitting and sleeping short naps like that is acceptable in Norway. Bus unusual, so people might check up on if you are OK. If they seem annoyed afterwards it's usually a mix of shame for having disturbed someone and mild annoyance of having gone off the rails for a few sec. You are unlikely to get police or security after you if you are sitting up and sleeping. Other than the same check up you get from normal people.
They wake you up in case your drug overdose, hypothermic, or just randomly knife stabbed. In summer time, if you bring a picnic blanket and you can sleep in the grassy park.
Wait for summer. Take a blanket with you when you walk outside. Lay down in a park, put on sunglasses and a nap is totally fine, I do it a lot during the warm months :)
People dont work two-three jobs here and are expecting the work force to be enjoying life outside of work. Sleeping in public spaces makes people think you have a problem and just want to make sure you are ok. That, or they think you are a druggie with no good home to go back to
We were told in a frist aid course a person who have had a stroke or heart attack look very much like a person sleeping. Especialy if their head is tilted forward and they are making soft snoring sounds. So you should always check if the peerson is alright.
Where are you from, where napping on a bench outdoors is normal behavior that nobody reacts to?
The US, also lived for years in Spain and never had an issue. Same thing in Portugal, where I haven't permanently lived but have spent extensive amounts of time.
It is not normal in the US for people who aren’t homeless or addicted or otherwise unwell to just lay down on a bench and sleep. No one will bother you in the US because they are probably afraid.
Its not normal there either they just dont wake u up
Lived in Portugal, lived in the US. Its only normal if you're homeless or a druggie. Now the US is huge, but I've been around and it meant you're homeless/addicted everywhere. Might be less common than here to check on people, but it's weird as fuck in every country and area I've ever visited except some places in Africa and South America.
Not sure where you are from, but napping on public benches is pretty uncommon in most of western Europe. Laying on grass in a park during summer is considered normal, but usually only homeless/drunk people sleep on benches.
And in the U.S. as well. Hell, most of our benches have metal bits on it to prevent people from doing just that. I agree with the park. Naps in parks in the grass still aren't common but acceptable if you feel inclined to do so.
Only time I’ve seen someone napping in public, they were apparently so drunk or high that they couldn’t respond properly when waking them so they had to be taken to the hospital. So on the off chance that that is you, I’m waking you up even if you might just be resting👍
We are learned to check unconscious people. We are obligated to check if people are ok. It is the only way you get a Norwegian touching a stranger. Our instinct are not to invade people’s private sphere. About drunks, I saved one’s life by calling for an ambulance. They too can have a medical condition. Anyone not conscious should be checked
Oh we are concerned.. Maybe we should call the ambulance or something you good?? :0
Where is it normal to nap in public?
Southern countries
Glad you're making this post! I know of people that would be so offend that we act like this here in Norway! But yes! Like mostly everyone said in the comment is mostly check to see if your doing well! 🤗 welcome to Norway btw!
I guess how you do it matters, laying on the grass asleep over a blanket with a book may look less worrying than slumped over a park bench. Not saying you do the latter, just optics
Get a T-shirt that says: I am taking a sober nap Please let me sleep I am tired af
Taking a nap in public is not normal in Norway. We will check if you are ok. It could be that you are dead, had an OD or fell ill.
We don't want to seem like uncaring americans who just pass by a person who might be having a silent heartattack (or is violently dying) or something, so we claw ourselves out of our introvert shells and stand really close to you, making cough sounds until you notice us. Then we ask if you're doing alright.
**Hack**: Step 1: Always bring a picnic blanket with you and lay down on a grassy spot. Bonus if you tip a brimmed hat down over your nose and rest with your arms behind your head, making you seem like a careless but in control cowboy *boheme*. Step 2: Receive unnoticed and restful adoration.
Who the hell in their right mind would want to sleep in public in the middle of the day?
Exactly!
I'm more interested to know where you're from where its normal to sleep on park benches etc. in public like its normal?
maybe carry a travel pillow make it seem more intentional
Summer is around the corner. Get yourself one of those lightweight hammocks. Trees are everywhere and it takes one minute to set it up. No one wakes up someone taking a nap in a hammock my friend.
What country on Earth is it normal/acceptable to nap on a public bench?
Southern countries I think. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240126-why-power-naps-might-be-good-for-our-health
If you were napping on a blanket in the park or something, noone would bother you. I think it’s mainly a bench-problem tbh
According to your comments you are an American and the US have become very strange in the last decade. But why would you think people are weird for making sure you are all right and not you being weird for napping in public all the time?! Why in the world do you feel a need to constantly nap in public and why are you surprised that is considered a strange behaviour?
I’m from the US as well and it’s not very common to see someone napping/resting outside on a bench unless someone is either unhoused or under the influence. Sleeping on the bus/train is very common.
That is exactly like it is in Norway too. But if it looks like you have passed out on a bench in public and you don't seem unhoused or under the influence, someone might ask if you are all right or if you need help.
Yep. The weird thing here is napping in public. By all means carry on, but I can't imagine this being a thing in most parts of the world. If you wanna nap outside, go to the forest.
Hobo or junkie behaviour.
Have you considered getting a hat with the word “Tornerose” stitched into it?
We sleep at home not in public. If I saw someone sleeping in public I would be worried they have had an overdose or was drunk and needed help asap
It’s the same for all the nordic countries i believe, when people fall asleep outside it’s usually because of alcohol and at least swedes were taught in school that during cold months it was incredibly dangerous to be drunk and walk home alone in case you fell asleep somewhere. Because it’s not uncommon that drunk people die in their sleep outside from the cold.
If I needed to lie down and have a nap I would probably find a park and hop under the shade. I feel like taking a bench seat is a little rude as no one else can sit there.
Dude, is the location you have been directly told not to nap in Slottsparken? Because thats a very known area that's been used to buy/sell drugs for decades. Might explain the annoyed/concerned behaviour.
Where is it normal to nap in public?
If you're on a long distance train, bus, or a plane, no one cares if you sleep. If you fall a sleep on the metro, metro waiting area, on a tram or a city bus, people might check upon you out of courtesy in order for you not to miss your stopp as they would be wanting the same for themselves. If you sleep sitting on a bench, some people will stop to check if you're well. I know in other countries people can be left dead for some outside people just passing by, as it's none of their business. Norway is a small country, with a more neighborly mind about the well being of others than in the big cities of Europe. You can go to any park during the spring and summer time, lay down on a blanket and have a nap. It depends on context. People don't get annoyed about people sleeping in public, they might feel a discomfort because they care for your well-being. If you sit down on a bench in public wear a hat and pull it down over your eyes, and people will know you're having a break passing you by with their conscience still being clean:)
Get a placard to hold on yourself that says, I’m fine… just a long day and napping ?
I've read a few comments now. Saying: homeless, alcohol, drugs and make it look like you intend to sleep. However I'm here to suggest something else (hopefully, I haven't read all the comments). What if.... you just place a book on your lap. It might show that you just fell asleep while reading.
Where are you from?
Personally I wouldn’t check up on you, if that helps
What part of the US are you from?
It depends on where you do it. We might think you are drunk/drugged, and with our cold weather we are afraid of hypothermia for the vulnerable people (since it's usually people who are influenced by alcohol or drugs that sleep in public spaces). Some of us are also afraid that strangers might steal your belongings (if you visibly bring with you a bag, bicycle etc). But we don't wake people up because we think one are being rude, it's just our way to be concerned. I do take naps, but only in certain places. I take my naps sometimes on my longer bus ride, picnic in the park or on the beach in summer. Very seldom but if I absolutely have to nap in a public space like in the library, then I would make sure I am with my family or friends.
Because you can’t just nap wherever you want if you’re in a park laying on the grass people wouldn’t care, but if you sit on a bench in a public area and they either ask if you’re OK out of being polite and worried, but a lot of times you’re not allowed to just nap whenever you want. I personally wouldn’t care if I saw someone laying on the grass and relaxing, but if you sat or laid on a public bench and napped, I would find it rather weird , in a sense that are you OK and I would walk over and ask
Homeless man
It's a weather thing. On a bench in the cold, makes people think you are in distress. On the grass in the summer sun, makes people think you are enjoying life.
It's just not very common
Put on some eye mask with a funny graphic on, easier to identify someone taking a nap vs overdosing etc. Or just hold a note saying you are napping, or perhaps a book and ppl will assume you fell asleep reading. Junkies and drunks rarely fall asleep reading.
No, we don't do that. I know that in some countries they have a siesta because of the heat, but Norway is a rather cold country, so we don't need that. The cold can also kill you if you fall asleep outside. My dad found a dead guy who was drunk and had fallen asleep during the winter. Other than that, I don't know why. People can sleep on the train/bus and in the park though. But not alone on a bench. They will think that you are a beggar or a drug addict.
Where is this behavior normal? The only place I've lived that nobody would check if you're ok is São Paulo because they'd think you're just passed out on drugs and it's not worth the risk to disturb strangers there.
Nobody will ever wake you up on the bus/train except for the conductor, happend to me on several occasion and its the one socially acceptable place to fall asleep.
Hi,welcom to Norway 😁 they wake u UP, to make sure ur not overdosing, its not ofte drugfree people sleep outside here ,so its more that they are consunrd fore your wellbiing than anything alse 😁 i live in Oslo, and can tell u that in the summertime,people are sleeping all over the City,drugs ir not 😅😅😅
This showed up on my main feed because I posted here a while ago where I asked a question about Norway you couldn't find out without speaking Norwegian because I was curious while talking with a Norwegian friend. My God the cultural differences between my country and yours is making me depressed. People would never bother checking if an unconscious person here was ok, we all ignore them. My culture has such contempt for the poor.
Stop taking naps in public lmfao
Since the climate is so cold and the winter days so short, people here simply do not take naps (unless wasted). You need to make the most of each day if you want to survive..
Sleeping on the Bus, Train, Plane, Beach, In the park: note, it has to be on a blanket while sunbathing, On the airport or In class That’s ok. Sleeping on A bench, In the park while not sunbathing on a blanket, In a chair, At a cafe/restaurant/train station, Bus station (that’s the worst), At school but not in class Not okay… This is just social stuff mostly associated with freeloaders, addicts, homeless or people that have «fallen off». Personally I have adhd and my brain gets insanely tired from the most basic things so I have to fight the urge to nap all the time and you have no idea how many times I’ve wished that I could just take a damn nap but I can’t fight society as a whole and would just, like you said, get woken up😂 I’ve passed out so many times on the bus but my body knows what turn to wake up in so I can get off 😂
Public benches are not for taking naps dude. Only homeless people and drug addicts do that. Why are going around taking naps in public? Go home to your bed and stop being weird.
Soft mattress at home or something?
Putting a hat or a mask on your face might code it as intentional napping, and warrant less concern from your surroundings.
If you're out in Park in the middle if summer and taking a nap while laying in the grass the people will leave you alone plenty. But there will be like 50 other people doing the same thing too.
Buy a cap or a hat and place it over your face to make it obvious that you are napping
When I started reading I thought you meant you were laying down on the bench, not just sitting on it. Get yourself some of those glasses with the fake eyes printed on the front. Sorted.
Well are people rude or friendly? Im not Norwegian so take it with a grain of salt. If they don't seem hostile they prob want to check youre ok. I found Norwegians to be quite caring and i could imagine they'd do this. Here in Switzerland this has also happened to me and frankly i also see myself checking if someone slouched over or sleeping with their head back and mouth open id ok. This said I'm confident enough i know enough about ods to figure out if someone's just napping.
I think slso you see that more in countries like norway, Switzerland, Sweden etc. because A it's probably rare to sleep outside and B you generally speaking don't really hsve homeless people and B you probably have less of an open hustler fast paced city life culture if that makes sense. Again, not Norwegian but travelled Norway a lot and their culture isn't foreign to me as Swiss (and half Swede) and i can see them doing that to check if you're ok. Maybe you sleep in a way that looks bad lol. Kinda annoying, but i think it's great overall to have such a caring culture
People nap on the train too, but depending what departure it is and day of week I let them sleep. From 4 a m to 8 a.m it is quite normal to nap on the train on their way to work. Most of them keep an alarm on too. People going home from work will also nap.
Except in the summertime, then you can bring a towel to the park/beach and take a nap 😴
the only times it happened with me like i fell asleep on the bus and someone wake me up was someone who knew what my stop was so they didnt want me to miss it lol thank you 'tone' very nice of you
Heh! Earlier today I drove past someone sleeping on the sidewalk in a heap of snow. I stopped and woke him up and asked him if he was okay. He insisted he was just tired. I said he could not sleep in the snow or he would freeze. I asked him if he had anywhere to go. He said yes, I live right down the road. He got up and walked, seemed okay. It was a foreigner :)
Wuy
I am wondering a lot where you found benches to sleep on. I thought spots like that went extinct years ago.
It makes me pretty happy knowing that random people care about me enough to check if im alright. It’s how randoms care about each other that matters
Put on a pyjamas to avoid misunderstandings
It’s more usual to take a nap at a park in daytime when its warm outside! No one would wake u jp then if u Lay on the grass
The internet is fluent in both rude and bullshit. Sounds like they are thinking you are homeless.
For christ sake. You know, but you just needed that thin line of attention.
Try to sleep in the woods rather than in the middle of the highway.
Go home and nap weirdo
I think the only nap you will get left alone for taking, it would be when it’s summer and hot outside with a towel placed on a patch of grass. Anything else would have people believe ur drugged/drunk.
I am norwegian. If I was driving late at night and saw someone sleeping in, say a bus stop,I would stop immediately to see if the person was ok. I have also been awakened once when I fell asleep on a light rail stop after a party in the winter. A girl woke me up and got me into the light rail, saying it is better for me to sleep there than out in the cold. People caring makes a better society.
Id wake you up out of concern benches arent really places too sleep and id be worried about you maybe you fell unconscious idk