Love Locked in Paris
Love may not be eternal in the City of Light after all. In the name of safety, the City of Paris has removed the tens of thousands of Love Locks which have adorned the Pont des Arts. The reason was not sentimental but ever so practical--these metal locks weight too much and are a danger on the iron railings and grills along the Walkway/bridge which dates to 1801 but was rebuilt in the 1980's.
This is not a lame municipal excuse nor a nasty bureaucratic diktat but a very sober realization that heavily weighed down bridge panels and railings can very easily collapse into the Seine River below and crash into a boat, barge, or heaven forbid, a heavily laden tourist bateau. Now the city authorities are planning to place many of the locks along the shoreline. All kinds of plans are under consideration as not to break the tradition of lovers but at the same time protect people from falling panels weighing hundreds of pounds.
So where can you still place a shiny brass lock on a storied Parisian bridge and throw away the key?
Just behind the Notre Dame Cathedral there's a small bridge the Pont de l'Archeveche which is glistening with thousands of brass locks most inscribed, initialed, and glistening in the sun. That is until the City of Paris swoops down in the name of safety and scoops them away.
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