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| '''Tunnel Running''' is a kind of recreational motor vehicle activity, in the form of a ] for owners of high performance ]s. It emphasises recreational driving in a group, and in particular, journeys involving ]s, often at night when little other traffic is present.<ref name="rides">, May/June 2006, p.41-42. </ref> At times convoys of over 200 cars have driven through tunnels in this manner.<ref name="rides" /><ref name="autocar feb06">'']'', February 2006, p.68-69. and </ref> Like ]s, tunnel runs tend to be organised in a clandestine manner.<ref>As described in both reviews organisation of runs tends to be via a "members only" website with directions and routes often only handed out at the rendez-vous; the description "clandestine" was also used in the Islington Council description.</ref> | |||
| Tunnel Running refers to the act of driving through a road tunnel such to amplify the sound of the car's engine using the tunnel's acoustic properties. One of the most notable groups of car enthusiasts involved in this are known simply as the London Tunnel Runners. This group organises itself on the Internet and arranges to drive in a convoy with as many as 200 sports cars, GT cars, motorbikes and supercars to drive through a selection of the road tunnels in London. The emphasis is on noise rather than speed and as such the runs have been noted as "usually well behaved" by the ]. | |||
| The activity originated in ] in the ], and emphasises acoustic enjoyment of the sounds and unusual echoes produced and social enjoyment of the shared activity, rather than speed.<ref name="rides" /> The originating group runs a monthly run, known as the '''London Tunnel Run''', which commenced in ].<ref name="rides" /> | |||
| == Purpose == | |||
| == Background and history == | |||
| The Tunnel Runner's are a group of enthusiasts who are passionate about driving, cars and all things motor-related. The group seeks to bring together like-minded individuals to collectively share this interest. The Tunnel Run facilitates this one step further by allowing the group to actively participate on the road. Participation, not competition, is the key word. Any form of car "snobbery" or an over-competitive nature is usually picked up by the group and guilty members could find themselves alienated as a result. The group believes in safe and spirited driving on public roads and will leave racing to the racetrack. The general reason for incorporation of tunnels is that it allows a combination of driving in open air as well as in enclosed spaces where the engine noise is enhanced (see below). A sense of purpose ensues as the group collates to create a line of audible and visual exotica travelling in a group through London. | |||
| Tunnel Running, or "tunnelling", originated as an organised hobby, interest, or activity, originated as a social activity amongst ] ] ] enthusiasts in ].<ref name="rides" /> Some sources state it was originated by one person, Eddie Wharram,<ref name="rides" /> others that it started with a group of "six enthusiasts" <ref name="autocar feb06" /> - '']'' states that six people "turned up" following a suggestion.<ref name="autocar feb06" /> Eddie Wharram stated in an interview that the initial motive was simply the "unbelievable" noise caused by echoes of a high power car engine, within the tunnels of London.<ref name="rides" /> Enthusiasts emphasise participation and shared enjoyment over competition, and the enjoyment of an ] nature]].<ref name="rides" /> | |||
| == History == | |||
| As a city, London has many ]s, which gave rise to an enjoyment element. Semi-regular meetings followed, often at night or pre-dawn to avoid ], and at times including upwards of 200 cars. Other runs have visited in areas such as ] and the south coast, or travelled overseas to ] and the tunnels of the ] (the "Furball 5000" run).<ref name="rides" /> | |||
| The Tunnel Run started as a car meeting by ] owners in London. After one particular meeting a small group decided to drive in a convoy around ], listening to the sound of their engines bouncing off walls of the many underground tunnels in London. | |||
| On such runs, route and logistic information is often provided by the organisers, themselves enthusiasts. The run to Paris caused a minor traffic jam near the ] as locals stopped to take pictures, but whilst the police were quickly in attendance their action was for the most part limited to curiosity and chatting with Tunnelers. All cars returned to the UK, with organisers noting that not one ] or untoward incident had occurred on the journey. | |||
| This first convoy realised they had struck a chord and the group decided to create a semi-regular meeting at midnight when the traffic is lighter in order to drive through the tunnels together. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Organisation== | ||
| The first Midnight London Tunnel Run attracted over 250 participants. As the runs continued and the group became larger more variations on this theme came into effect. In a bid for even less traffic 'dawn raids' were conceived, in which Tunnellers embark on their journeys as early as 3 or 4 am and usually finish at a venue for breakfast. The runs sometimes finish in areas outside ] such as ] and the south coast. | |||
| {{SectOR|date=October 2007}} | |||
| One run has even travelled as far as ]. This run began on a Saturday evening with over 100 cars making their way across the channel. The drivers stuck together, cruising along the autoroutes before arriving in Paris just after midnight. The main organiser had set out a specific route and together with a number of the runners helping out with phones and walkie talkies, ensured that the bulk of the cars stayed together and on schedule (for the return trip). There was a rendezvous with a group of 20 cars from Holland who joined in the fun on the (mainly) deserted Paris streets. The group caused a minor traffic jam near the Eiffel tower as locals stopped to take pictures, but whilst the police were quickly in attendance they simply joined in with the locals taking photo's and chatting (as far as was possible with the language difference) with the Tunnelers. | |||
| The group then made its way out of Paris and took the trip home. | |||
| Considering the logistics, the high performance and sometimes fragile nature of the cars involved, it is a testament to the (unnamed) organiser that all the cars made it back safely without a single speeding ticket or incident on the continent. | |||
| ⚫ | == Members == | ||
| The runs are attended by a group of high performance vehicle owners. The group congragates online and arranges run dates and meet points. To become a member of the group one must first be invited along by an existing member, and then successfully complete a 'warm in' period. This period is usually one to two runs as a guest where driving and attitude can be assessed for their compatibility with the main group. Once granted formal membership, the new member is granted access into the restricted and heavily moderated web site. | |||
| ⚫ | === Members and vehicles=== | ||
| Whilst it is not imperative to have a particular type of car in order to attend (i.e there are no guidelines), an attendee's car tends to be one of the following: | Whilst it is not imperative to have a particular type of car in order to attend (i.e there are no guidelines), an attendee's car tends to be one of the following: | ||
| ⚫ | # A recognised high performance vehicle; | ||
| ⚫ | # A recognised classic vehicle; | ||
| ⚫ | # A vehicle considered to be unique enough to attract interest (i.e. rare/modified/import/prototype etc). | ||
| ⚫ | The criteria for drivers is stated by the organisers to be one of maturity. The runs are organised within a restricted Internet forum to prevent them from being gatecrashed by unwanted parties who may drive dangerously and bring the London Tunnel Run into disrepute. To date this has not happened. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ===International aspects=== | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | There are a number of international groups who bring a selection of vehicles over to the UK and join in the runs. In 2007 a Dutch contingency joined in on more than one occasion, arriving on a Saturday morning to be met by a number of the UK Tunnel Runners. Both times they completed a run that afternoon as well as a run early on the Sunday morning with the London Tunnellers. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| === Safety issues=== | |||
| It is important to note that it is not simply the car that is important; the individual has to be of a sufficiently responsible nature to understand that the London Tunnel Run is not a race, in fact there is no competition of any kind (other than the noise in the tunnels). The group is as far removed from the outlaw 'joyriding' showing off culture of the 1980's as it can possibly be. | |||
| ⚫ | The original London group has active relations with the ] to make sure that inconvenience to the general public is kept to a minimum. Many copycat runs have been created by other internet forums. To combat this the London Tunnel Runners now inform the police of every run that they have planned, to enable the police to deal with genuine complaints in case those are made. | ||
| ==Complaints and criticisms== | |||
| All egos are left at home, the atmosphere within the LTR is one of cameraderie and mutual respect. Any car that develops a mechanical problem will have a number of runners either stop to assist or ensure that the problem is not serious. | |||
| In late 2006, complaints by ] led to contact by the police - the London Tunnel Run had developed a prediliction for the underpasses under the ], which are wide and spacious, but are also above ground and act as ]es for a 2000-apartment central London housing estate.<ref name="islington">Islington Gazette, 24 January 2007. ''Bid to halt tunnel racers''. </ref> The council identified the drivers as the "London Tunnellers", describing them as a "clandestine group of sports car enthusiasts" and stating that they were "quite notorious in certain circles" by reason of their choice of location and activity. The noise, at early hours of the day, had received complaints. Police commented that "It seems the idea is to make as much noise as possible, using high-powered sports cars. But there have been no allegations of speeding or dangerous driving." <ref name="islington" /> | |||
| The links the group have are wide and varied within the UK and the phenomenon has even spread abroad. There are a number of international groups who bring a selection of vehicles over to the UK and join in the runs. | |||
| ⚫ | In 2007 a Dutch contingency joined in on more than one occasion, arriving on a Saturday morning to be met by a number of the UK Tunnel Runners. Both times they completed a run that afternoon as well as a run early on the Sunday morning with the London Tunnellers. | ||
| After stopping for breakfast, the convoy continued to a pre-determined location for an impromtu 'motor show' in a large public car park where members of the public had the opportunity to see some rare and beautiful cars at close quarters. The Dutch then returned to the mainland on the Sunday afternoon. They have attended a few of the Tunnel Runs and are welcomed by the group, bringing the same warm friendly enthusiasm, whilst still maintaining an emphasis on safety which is evident throughout the Tunnel Run community. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| Details of runs are never published outside of the website until the run has happened. The route, start point and destination always change. The group has active relations with the ] to make sure that inconvenience to the general public is kept to a minimum. | |||
| Acts of dangerous driving are frowned upon within the group and have resulted in people being banned from further events organised by the Tunnel Runners. | |||
| During a tunnel run the group slows to a crawl within a tunnel to create a gap in the traffic then accelerate hard to create loud engine noise within the confines of the tunnel. The cars usually feature large displacement engines with tuned exhaust systems, which produce a sound that is very pleasing to a car enthusiast. A video of a Tunnel Run can be seen | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| == London Tunnel Run in the Media == | == London Tunnel Run in the Media == | ||
| The programme "Vroom Vroom" on mainstream satellite channel ] carried a report on the tunnel run where presenter ] was invited to join the run. Youtube videos available | * The programme "Vroom Vroom" on mainstream satellite channel ] carried a report on the tunnel run where presenter ] was invited to join the run. Youtube videos available | ||
| * A video of a Tunnel Run can be seen (the main run begins around 6½ minutes into the video). | |||
| ⚫ | * Article and gallery in ]'s 4car website available | ||
| Islington Gazette article ran an article on a noise complaint caused by cars attributed to a tunnel run. Article | |||
| An article in Rides Magazine (USA) in the May/June 2006 edition. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ⚫ | Article and gallery in ]'s 4car website available | ||
| <References /> | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 12:26, 4 October 2007
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Tunnel Running is a kind of recreational motor vehicle activity, in the form of a road rally for owners of high performance sports cars. It emphasises recreational driving in a group, and in particular, journeys involving tunnels, often at night when little other traffic is present. At times convoys of over 200 cars have driven through tunnels in this manner. Like flash mobs, tunnel runs tend to be organised in a clandestine manner.
The activity originated in 2004 in the UK, and emphasises acoustic enjoyment of the sounds and unusual echoes produced and social enjoyment of the shared activity, rather than speed. The originating group runs a monthly run, known as the London Tunnel Run, which commenced in 2004.
Background and history
Tunnel Running, or "tunnelling", originated as an organised hobby, interest, or activity, originated as a social activity amongst London England TVR enthusiasts in 2004. Some sources state it was originated by one person, Eddie Wharram, others that it started with a group of "six enthusiasts" - Autocar states that six people "turned up" following a suggestion. Eddie Wharram stated in an interview that the initial motive was simply the "unbelievable" noise caused by echoes of a high power car engine, within the tunnels of London. Enthusiasts emphasise participation and shared enjoyment over competition, and the enjoyment of an extrovert nature]].
As a city, London has many tunnels, which gave rise to an enjoyment element. Semi-regular meetings followed, often at night or pre-dawn to avoid congestion, and at times including upwards of 200 cars. Other runs have visited in areas such as Wales and the south coast, or travelled overseas to Paris and the tunnels of the Alps (the "Furball 5000" run).
On such runs, route and logistic information is often provided by the organisers, themselves enthusiasts. The run to Paris caused a minor traffic jam near the Eiffel tower as locals stopped to take pictures, but whilst the police were quickly in attendance their action was for the most part limited to curiosity and chatting with Tunnelers. All cars returned to the UK, with organisers noting that not one speeding ticket or untoward incident had occurred on the journey.
Organisation
 | This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (October 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Members and vehicles
Whilst it is not imperative to have a particular type of car in order to attend (i.e there are no guidelines), an attendee's car tends to be one of the following:
- A recognised high performance vehicle;
- A recognised classic vehicle;
- A vehicle considered to be unique enough to attract interest (i.e. rare/modified/import/prototype etc).
The criteria for drivers is stated by the organisers to be one of maturity. The runs are organised within a restricted Internet forum to prevent them from being gatecrashed by unwanted parties who may drive dangerously and bring the London Tunnel Run into disrepute. To date this has not happened.
International aspects
There are a number of international groups who bring a selection of vehicles over to the UK and join in the runs. In 2007 a Dutch contingency joined in on more than one occasion, arriving on a Saturday morning to be met by a number of the UK Tunnel Runners. Both times they completed a run that afternoon as well as a run early on the Sunday morning with the London Tunnellers.
Safety issues
The original London group has active relations with the Metropolitan Police Service to make sure that inconvenience to the general public is kept to a minimum. Many copycat runs have been created by other internet forums. To combat this the London Tunnel Runners now inform the police of every run that they have planned, to enable the police to deal with genuine complaints in case those are made.
Complaints and criticisms
In late 2006, complaints by Islington Council led to contact by the police - the London Tunnel Run had developed a prediliction for the underpasses under the Barbican Estate, which are wide and spacious, but are also above ground and act as underpasses for a 2000-apartment central London housing estate. The council identified the drivers as the "London Tunnellers", describing them as a "clandestine group of sports car enthusiasts" and stating that they were "quite notorious in certain circles" by reason of their choice of location and activity. The noise, at early hours of the day, had received complaints. Police commented that "It seems the idea is to make as much noise as possible, using high-powered sports cars. But there have been no allegations of speeding or dangerous driving."
London Tunnel Run in the Media
- The programme "Vroom Vroom" on mainstream satellite channel Sky One carried a report on the tunnel run where presenter Emma Parker Bowles was invited to join the run. Youtube videos available here.
- A video of a Tunnel Run can be seen here (the main run begins around 6½ minutes into the video).
- Article and gallery in Channel 4's 4car website available here.
References
- ^ 'RIDES' magazine, May/June 2006, p.41-42.
- ^ Autocar, February 2006, p.68-69. and
- As described in both reviews organisation of runs tends to be via a "members only" website with directions and routes often only handed out at the rendez-vous; the description "clandestine" was also used in the Islington Council description.
- ^ Islington Gazette, 24 January 2007. Bid to halt tunnel racers.
