It’s the problem that just won’t go away—the world-wide mania for attaching ‘love-locks’ to bridges, fences and just about anywhere else—and the lock-hangers are so persistent that Paris has now had to add even more measures to keep its ‘lock-proof’ Pont des Arts cleared.
The Pont des Arts had Paris’ biggest collection of the locks (and a host of vendors selling them, right at the bridge) when the weight of the locks pulled down a portion of the railing. After that, the city removed the whole accumulation (nearly 50 tons of locks), railings and all, and installed new ‘lock-proof’ railings covered with plexiglass.
Undeterred, the love-birds began to find new places on the bridge, including on the small metal joints between railings. City workers have now gone out and attached steel covers over the fittings. But even that may not be enough: As the picture below shows, the bridge’s lamp posts have now become a target.
As Kingtikitaki showed, South Korea has the right idea. Make certain areas where people can put the love locks, so they don’t put them everywhere. Trying to stop them, is just not working.