– It is quite stupid. It’s strange that ABC has become a “thing” and is important to people, says Jonatan Sekulic. He and his friends, Jakob Møllhausen and Anders Roen, are Russians in Ullern, continuing in Oslo and on the Russian bus “Sting”. It is considered a so-called A-bus in Ullern and is thus at the top of a hierarchy that many people do not know about. WELL USED: The “Sting” bus is equipped with numerous powerful speakers and has side-by-side seats. Otherwise, the vehicle gives the impression of having lived a long life. Photo: Ingvild Edvardsen / news Ranking of buses and people Ranking the buses into A, B and C buses is an established tradition at several secondary schools in the Oslo area. This is confirmed by several drug and health nurses news has spoken to. They say that the hierarchical system characterizes social life throughout the whole of secondary school. Where one is ranked can affect status and who you can hang out with in your free time. Auditions and voting are common. Auditions can take place when a couple or three people who want to get on the bus are invited to something social. The others then vote anonymously on who should get a place. – It is a system of classes in a way. The A bus is the best, and then come B and C, says Isrid Tveitt, who is Russian at Oslo Handelsgym. DON’T WORRY: Andrea Tangen Jensen and Isrid Tveitt say they themselves have not been concerned about getting on the right bus, but have the impression that many at their school care. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news Andrea Tangen Jensen, from the same school, says the ABC system is an indirect ranking of people. – It is about being on the A bus. Then you are the best and have status. – Being on the B-bus means that you are not seen as the coolest at school, that you are a little below the others, says Alma Kolle Riis at Blindern further. WANT TO HAVE FUN: Alma Kolle Riis and Amalie Arndt say they are most busy having fun during the rush hour. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news The Russian on the A-bus often starts the planning first, often already in junior high school, she and her bus friend Amalie Arndt say. – It’s like going to an audition every day. In the canteen at Asker, further health nurse, Tone Lise Jakobsen, chats with students from this year’s Russian class. CLOSE ON: Public health nurse Tone Lise Jakobsen is concerned with not putting the responsibility on the young people. The Russian in the picture is not sitting at the table of the “first bus” Photo: Tore Linvollen / news – I meet so many wonderful young people. It is important for me to emphasize that. For several years, Jakobsen has been shouting warnings about the Russetida, which she calls exclusion and bullying seen as a system. The hierarchy is clearly visible in the canteen. – Here at the school, “everyone” knows that by the table in the corner is the first bus on VG3, then they are successively down to VG1 at the other end. If you have not managed to get on the bus, or have been voted out, it can be difficult to be in the canteen, says Jakobsen. FRUSTRATION: Tone Lise Jakobsen says she experiences that the Russians on the bus are also frustrated: – They are exhausted because they have to work three days a week and at the same time get good grades. Photo: Tore Linvollen / news She tells about episodes in recent years where “outcasts” have tried to sit down with their friends on the Russian bus, but have experienced “glaring” before the others move to another table. – It is heartbreaking to hear. It does something to the thoughts they have about themselves. Nobody wants anything to do with you. – Gigantic social experiment The health nurse says the battle to get on a bus can be an all-consuming project for three years at a time. – They say: “It’s like going to an audition every day. I can’t have a bad day. I have to be something I’m not in order to fit in’ – What does the hierarchy do with social life? – We know that many people have a great time on the bus, but being excluded is difficult. Birthdays, 17 May and New Year’s Eve, everything is celebrated with the Russian bus. When one is willing to turn one’s back on one’s best friend in order to secure one’s place in the community, it says something about the extreme power of this dynamic. Russ at Blindern secondary school. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news What do you think of this? – It is a gigantic social experiment that we exposed the children to. It is absolutely appalling that we adults let them go on with it. – Inflating the problem Among the Russians, there are divided opinions about the meaning of the Russian hierarchy. – It is a bloated problem. Here at Blindern, you don’t notice much difference between A, B and C buses, says Ferdinand Pfanzelter Vetleseter. BLINDERNRUSS: Not everyone agrees that the time of drunkenness is exclusionary. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news He sits together with other A-russ in the canteen at Blindern. Everyone is welcome here, they say. – It is irritating that the media portrays it as if only the buses are sitting together. We boys sit everywhere. If someone comes who is not on the bus, we don’t say no, says Leo Spade Nodeland. STATUS: Leo Spade Nodeland does not think his status is increasing. – But people can believe that it is increasing. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news – What does it mean to be on an A-bus? – Nothing special. In many cases, you spend a lot more money, but not here. I don’t think people look at me differently because I’m on the A-bus. – Get a bad conscience The boys from Ullern further emphasize that they have never defined themselves as an A-bus. – There are other people who draw that conclusion, says Anders Roen. TRYING TO INCLUDE: The guys from Ullern VGs think the hierarchy around Russian buses is not as cynical as it might seem. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news They understand the criticism from the health nurse and admit that buses with a maximum number of seats contribute to exclusion. – When we vote no to a person, we get a really bad conscience and think about it a lot. It’s incredibly hard for him, says Roen. They say they have tried to include the boys who did not come along in various ways through the secondary school. – And now in the rush hour, many people are getting tired and a lot of places are suddenly opening up. Then we can bring more people, says Jonatan Sekulic.
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This is the internal hierarchy of the Russian:
