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news
Oil patches on Two Tunnels path - credit Jayson GodridgeAfter child skids into wall on her scooter, are Bath Two Tunnels cyclists and other users of greenway being deliberately targeted with oil?
Cyclists and other users of Bath’s popular Two Tunnels Greenway off-road cycling and walking route appear to be getting targeted with pools of oil both inside the tunnels and in open parkland – causing one child to come off her scooter, while other people have found their skin and clothing stained with oil afterwards.
As we reported on our live blog yesterday, one cyclist who spotted the oil on the path in Oldfield Park, which forms part of the route that incorporates the eponymous Victorian railway tunnels speculated that it was most likely put there on purpose to target cyclists.
But in the post, made to a local Facebook group, the cyclist who took the picture above said: “What they need to remember is that this path is used by everyone, including kids and the elderly. It’s now very slippery, potentially very dangerous, and will also be polluting the area once the rain comes.
“Some humans really suck.”
And yesterday, in a post to the Walk Ride Bath Facebook group, a woman wrote of how oil inside one of the tunnels had caused her daughter to crash into the wall.
“When I took her straight home to wash she had oil all over her under her clothes,” she said. “Big oil slick at start of the short tunnel heading out of Bath. Right at the bottom of the hill when people have picked up speed.
“She went veering into the opposite wall and her scooter hit it.”
One person responding to that post suggested that the mother report the incident to the police, which she said she would do.
Another suggested that the substance the child skidded on in the tunnel might be soot – although that wouldn’t explain the patch of oil in Oldfield Park.
He wrote: “I’ve just been for a ride & it is slippery, especially for narrow scooter wheels but it looks & feels more like 70 year old soot (which is derived from hydro-carbons).
“The whole tunnel path is damp due to the condensation formed in this heat and residue has slightly pooled in the entrance. Best be cautious riding through.”
Yesterday evening, road.cc editor Tony Farrelly went along to see the issues for himself.
He said: “I guess the oil is targeted at cyclists – I don't see who else it could be, but the main victims so far would seem to be small children and dogs.
“The patch of oil mentioned on the up ramp at the Bath end of the shorter of the tunnels is easy to spot. There's quite a lot and it's mixed with the water that constantly leaks in to the tunnels so it's a big patch.
“The way it's mixed with water it's not that slippery and it's really black like heavy sump oil rather than diesel which, would be lethal.
“I didn't ride through the oil in the shorter tunnel but when I got to the end of the main tunnel going out of Bath my bike, my bag, and my legs were coated.
“There's clearly a lot of it in the main tunnel and it's very wet down there, plus they've reduced the lighting at the moment so it's impossible to spot, but it seems like it's all over the place. Definitely check your brakes after riding through.
“The main problem for most cyclists is going to be that it'll make a mess of their bike and maybe their bag. The people who it'll potentially cause the most harm to are kids and dogs.
“I stopped to take some pics of the bike when I got out of the main tunnel and got in to conversation with a family who'd just walked through with their small dog. They thought he was covered in mud, I told them it might be oil. It was. Can't think it'll do the dog much good. “
As to whether the substance might be soot, Tony said, after cleaning it off his bag that it was “definitely oil” and that it was “quite heavy.”
He said: “I've had some of that on my bike before, this is quite sooty which you'd think the stuff coming off the roof would be, but then so is sump oil. Even detergent hasn't got it completely off my and it's seeped in to the plastic.
“Also I've never seen anything like that in the shorter tunnel that's much drier, he added. You could see the oil there being walked and ridden out of the tunnel.
“And that dog … “
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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16 comments
Meanwhile here in Hertfordshire.... there are some definite clues that our own greenway's new slick is oil and not soot
Simple question - why hasn't someone been alone and dumped some sand over it?
Having cycled through both tunnels yesterday, and came out bike and myself caked in black sooty muck that covered my rear light and clogged up my brake pads. Inside the tunnels the warm humid air blowing in was causing lots of condensation and it was visibly foggy inside the long tunnel. I assumed that all hot air was condensing on the cold tunnel walls washing down the old soot onto the path.
Surely in the last 7 years the same weather conditions have occurred once or twice? Has this soot/ oil not been noticed before if it is natural?
Of course it's possible, I've not been riding long so couldn't really comment, but I personally have not experienced those conditions in the tunnels before.
The grime I washed off my bike and myself was definately sooty and not oily.
I went through there yesterday (1st time since Mar as I felt the bike paths were too congested and not 'social distance compliant'); had mudguards on so wasn't affected.
I've DEFINITELY seen those conditions in the tunnels over previous years; always guessed it was soot (from the railway days) mixed with water dripping from the roof. As for the oil, I wasn't aware (no slipping) but at the S entrance to the short tunnel there was a danger message spray painted on the tarmac (I was travelling in the other direction); thought someone had mistaken the soot situation.
Quite glad I popped the mudguards on with the risk of a thunderstorm.
Please stop castigating BOOBOOJMOOJ guys, I look forward to his delusional and self justifying explanations, maybe he should start writing fiction as I'm sure they would be as entertaining as his fantasy justifications on here.
Hate crime?
Are petrolheads so threatened, so consumed with hate by the cyclists having their own route that they have to sabotage it? This is a new version of the wire strung across tracks, tacks thrown on roads at cycling events. The government review should include considering making such nasty, sneaky attacks a hate crime, with associated punishments.
EDIT: Did that obnoxious radio presenter and the law-bending solicitor mention stuff like this?
Does anyone know if BOOBOOJMOOJ and SocratiCyclist are the same person? Or housemates or something?
I think they share the same brain cell.
From the picture, it does not look like a sabotage attempt. It's used oil making it highly visible, and does not even extend across the path. To suspect sabotage I would anticipate clean oil, or diesel, and at the very least spread right across the path.
What a shame admin don't do something about those who swear and those just get personal. Or is it that any attention is better than none. Come on admin, delte and block.
Personally I take my used engine oil to the recycling centre. I expect that other people are equally capable of collecting dirty engine oil from their vehicles and use it for other purposes.
If the above were a stationary vehicle leaking oil that heavily, in several places by all accounts*, then I'd expect them to link up with some obvious stopping point, e.g the lorry that comes round to empty the dog poo bins. I'd also expect to see patches leading to and away from the main spot even tyre tracks from the vehicle involved not just bicycle tracks. That does seem like an awful lot of oil...
If anything this is just more ammunition for Nick Freeman and his identity tabbards. If you saw a suspicious pedestrian with a milk carton full of used engine oil it would be so much easier to report them or to identify them from any CCTV in the area.
*and suspiciously in places that are likely to cause issues; corner at the bottom of an incline as you pick up speed, just inside tunnel entrances before your eyes might adjust to see them.
Interesting. How do you know the mind and intent of whoever put it there? Why would anyone waste new oil? Far more likely that a petrolhead drained their sump, couldn't be bothered to dispose of it properly and decided to have a little fun with the cyclists.
Of course I don't "know the mind and intent of whoever put it there". Neither do you. How is that interesting?
Well, I thought your post was interesting, that's why I replied. If you're contending that it isn't, that's ok too.