Next time you walk over a Paris bridge make sure you don't lean on the railings or you may find yourself falling into the Seine. It's nothing to do with public cuts or bad maintenance; the problem is love. And as all the over-30s among us know, too much love can be dangerous.
A few days ago, part of the Pont des Arts parapet collapsed under the weight of so-called "love locks" attached by thousands of visitors to the French capital. The city of love is one of the most visited places in the world, so it is not difficult to imagine the weight of those tourists' love. And since Kim Kardashian took part in the ritual, inspiring even more to do the same, there is growing concern in Paris that it has become a plague.
Parisians can't remember when it all began, but they have certainly grown increasingly irritated by the tradition. In fact, they have had to reluctantly accept seeing their bridges permanently crowded with thousands of smitten looking couples repeating the same ritual: kissing the padlock on which their names are written, locking it to the bridge and throwing the key into the Seine while trying to film themselves with their smartphones. I once saw a young woman throwing her boyfriend's iPhone into the river instead of the key. Love can be such a transient feeling, believe me.
In 2010 the Paris town hall confronted the problem head on, and removed all love locks at night. They said they wanted to preserve the architectural integrity of the Parisian landscape. However, in just a few months, the locks were back in force, and even more conspicuous than ever. They now cover 11 bridges in Paris, including the new Simone de Beauvoir bridge opposite France's national library. The paragon of free love must be turning in her grave.
River bridges are not alone. Canals in the north-east of the city are also beginning to experience the same fate. Where will it stop, asks American-born Parisian Lisa Taylor-Huff who has launched a petition, which has so far garnered 8,200 signatures, demanding that the new mayor, Anne Hidalgo, removes these eyesores. It is a question of saving Paris from a visual but also real pollution of the Seine, she argues. With a Twitter account (@NoLoveLocks), a hashtag, a Facebook page and a website Taylor-Huff is on a mission. Will this be enough to rid the city of this scourge? Probably not.
The Paris mayor's deputy, Bruno Julliard, who has been put in charge of this most delicate affair, declared yesterday that he was opposed to a total removal of the cadenas d'amour. He said he'd like "to address the problem without breaking the hearts of those who have sealed their undying love for each other to the Parisian bridges". He has instead commissioned artists to suggest alternatives. Among their proposals so far: contemporary sculptures or metal trees dedicated to padlocks which would be placed on bridges; and a digital screening service for lovers who could beam their love messages on to the bridges. There is also a website called Love MasterLock, a virtual alternative promoted by the town hall.
By trying to accommodate both frustrated Parisians and sentimental lovers from all over the world, the mayor and her team might just end up antagonising everyone. But the problem is inevitably going to increase in size unless something is done. A solution and, perhaps, drastic actions are needed. In the meantime, let's hope nobody falls in the river as a result of the love locks. That, surely, would be the end of love.
