NY Times Article on those Love Locks on Parisian Bridges...
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/28/wo...love.html?_r=0

thought of the recent thread we had on these locks folks - mainly tourists lock on bridges then as a sign of forever love throw the keys into the Seine!

Appears some locals are making money selling locks!

Interesting in how Paris cleans the locks off - I thought they would blast them off but it says they remove the whole bridge panel and put up a new one - locks gone in one fell swoop though at a certain expense.

Saw the "love locks" for the first time last year in Venice on the bridge that goes from Dorsoduro to San Marco. I thought someone told me they were put there by locals.

Such a shame to deface a beautiful bridge like the Pont des Arts, or any other beautiful bridge for that matter.

The first time I saw them I though they where left there by bicycle riders, as there were on a few dozen. By the end of 2012, during our last visit, you could still see the river through locks, but not any more, not according to the picture in the NYTimes.

It is horrible, horrible, horrible. I am in Paris right now and have a few photos I will share later. It isn't merely that they are attaching the locks to the bridge itself, they are attaching bike locks and very long bike chains (or maybe just chains, full stop) to the bridge and then completely filling up those chains. The bridge I photographed today didn't have one inch that wasn't covered in locks - and then as mentioned these other protuding bike locks or chains were wrapped and braided all over.

I don't think the people selling locks are locals, they're immigrants.

some immigrants have a 'lock' on the local locks on bridge sales?

I suspect there are some locals who are also selling locks. I'll bet there are some locals who are selling cans of spray paint, too, but I'm sure the only people who use them to create graffitti are foreigners.

In Venice, the graffiti is produced by the locals. Particularly near the University Foscari.

Locks are plastered on the Accademia bridge.

but I'm sure the only people who use them to create graffitti are foreigners.>

You are indeed giving Parisians a bad name - lots of good graffiti artists who are Parisians I have a feeling - most if not all I'd say.