On Sunday afternoon, Yang sat down to rest on the bench in front of the Everbright Shoe Manufactory as was his habit. But when he stood up to leave, he suddenly realized that his trousers had been stained with oil. After taking a closer look, he saw that the bench had been coated with diesel oil.

Yang told a reporter for the Beijing Times that area residents often relaxed or played chess on the two benches in front of the factory. But since Saturday morning, several residents had ended up with stained clothing after stopping to rest.

Feng, head of the factory's security department, confessed to coating the benches with the oil to deter people from sitting there. He argued that he had done it for the sake of the residents' safety, fearing that cars continually entering and exiting the main gate could cause traffic accidents.

Residents, however, believe the move damages the city's image, reports Beijing Times.

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