Sex And The UniverCity

Attempting Sex In Some Not-So-Private Places

By: Emily Neumann

Posted: 4/23/08

Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, deep in the throes of passion, roll around in the back seat of a steamed-up car in the cargo bay of a legendary ship about to sink. A hand shoots up, sliding across the hot, wet window ...

"Titanic" may be what jumps to mind for some when they think about having sex in the back of a car. Personally, it reminds me of awkward high school rendezvous, where a car was sometimes the only place to have some real privacy. It just never appealed to me - bumping heads on the roof, twisted legs and invasive shifter knobs didn't translate to "romance."

Apparently, I wasn't the only one back then who sacrificed a little dignity to find a discreet spot to get it on. "I had sex in a graveyard back in high school," said Bryan Conway, an 8th-semester physics major.

Although places like the kitchen or your roommate's bed should probably be avoided (mainly for sanitary reasons), there's no doubt about it - getting sexed up out of bed is a great way to spice up your love life.

If you're apprehensive, start out simple: half-on, half-off. Doing it doggie-style with one or both people standing is a great way to venture off the bed.

Having sex on a desk chair is another great way for the more modest couple to expand their horizons, as it requires very little naked travel. Feel free to slide up onto the desk - I mean, hey, it's right there - and bring some pillows to ease sore knees, hips and elbows.

Once you've taken that initial step out of bed, moving around a dorm or apartment is easy. Doing it on a futon or couch can be particularly fulfilling, and it makes it much easier for ladies to do the work in girl-on-top sex. Guys can prop up their legs on a table or footstool for extra leverage.

The bathroom is another fun venue for a good romp. Do it bent over the vanity for a great view of each other's bodies in the mirror. Feeling dirty? Hop in the shower! The feeling of hands and water is exhilarating, especially during orgasm.

Some people like to take it outdoors. Justin Grenier, 8th-semester political science major, said he was once kicked out of a park for having sex.

"It was kind of exciting, actually," he said.

"[I've done it in] fields, and places like that," said Daniel McLaughlin, an 8th-semester environmental science major who said he also had sex outside, surrounded by nature.

However McLaughin warned couples to "bring blankets, depending on how public it is."

Sometimes if you're really in the mood, anything with a door qualifies as acceptable. "I did it in the Target dressing room once," said "Roxy," an 8th-semester psychology major.

There are laws regulating where you can and can't have sex, and they should certainly be taken into account when you decide to drop your pants. Public sex - that is, sex in any place where others could reasonably see you - qualifies as public indecency, according to Capt. Rhoda Averna of the UConn Police Department. Public indecency also includes exposure and/or touching another person with the intent to arouse, Averna said. Each of these offenses is punishable by up to one year in prison.

Averna said that offenders could also be charged with second degree breach of peace, disorderly conduct, or creating a public disturbance.

"I mean, if you're in a tent in a private back yard, chances are no one will see you," Averna said, with a laugh, "but they will if you're out on a park bench."

While the days of needing to sneak around to have sex are long gone for most students at UConn, the sense of adventure is still there.

"I definitely want to have sex in the library," Conway said.

As long as you keep things safe and remain respectful and aware of others, taking sex off the bed can be a very rewarding move for couples looking to try something new.

Contact Emily Neumann at Emily.Neumann@UConn.edu.