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Love locks - basically just vandalism?

156 replies

SnoozingFox · 14/02/2025 19:11

Piece on the One Show about those people who attach padlocks to bridges and it's being pushed as an "awwww isn't this lovely, it's a gesture of love, people come back every year to see their lock, such as shame when they have to be removed" and I'm sitting thinking the opposite.

It's no different from scratching your initials into the bricks of a castle, or spray painting a wall. Vandalism. Nobody cares that some random bridge is where you had your first date or your boyfriend proposed. Nobody wants to walk across a city centre bridge covered in padlocks which the council then eventually have to pay to remove.

Leave no trace.

OP posts:
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MasterBeth · 14/02/2025 19:56

No, not vandalism. Vandalism makes a permanent damage or disfigurement to a place.

Love locks are litter.

Needanewnameidea · 14/02/2025 19:54

One of those things that was cute when the first person did it. Now that hundreds are doing it on dozens of bridges it’s just tacky and basically littering. The only one that I’ve seen that I thought was ok was one in America which was specifically set up for dog collars for bereaved pet owners - while not my kind of thing at all it at least isn’t damaging public spaces or historic structures and it was created for that purpose. Maybe there’s a business opportunity to build a bridge somewhere scenic for lovers and sell padlocks on the gate - least it would be an actual attraction instead of appropriating public spaces.

MegTheForgetfulCat · 14/02/2025 19:50

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 14/02/2025 19:42

It was probably initiated by a lock manufacturer.
And they are possibly on here now, saying
"But it's cute..." 🤮

It was an Italian film that started the craze - Ho Voglia Di Te

Deedeesharpwhatkindoflady · 14/02/2025 19:50

Nothing says romance more than a Yale padlock.. what a load of bollocks

SnoozingFox · 14/02/2025 19:49

To be fair, there are a lot of people who tweet shit too.

I'm not keen on the ribbons either, but easier to remove than the locks.

OP posts:
TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:47

Twee. Not tweeting.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:47

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 14/02/2025 19:42

It was probably initiated by a lock manufacturer.
And they are possibly on here now, saying
"But it's cute..." 🤮

I’m not a lock manufacturer. People like tweeting shit. Check out the decor in B&M.

I just think in the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal.

Vapes with lithium batteries chucked on the ground is vandalism (and dangerous). No one seems bothered by that.

ReignOfError · 14/02/2025 19:43

Completely agree. In Aveiro in Portugal, they ran a successful campaign to get people to use ribbons instead, and it’s much prettier (although I do realise there’s still an environmental impact).

The ribbons are not just from lovers, but between friends and families too.

Love locks - basically just vandalism?
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 14/02/2025 19:42

It was probably initiated by a lock manufacturer.
And they are possibly on here now, saying
"But it's cute..." 🤮

MrsRedTop · 14/02/2025 19:41

I agree. There’s nothing romantic about them.

SnoozingFox · 14/02/2025 19:40

If you have a special spot to you and your partner, take a photo. Get if framed. Put it on your wall. Job done.

It's like the idiot tourists in Edinburgh who are literally rubbing away Greyfriar's Bobby because some equally idiot tourist guide 25 years ago made up the story it was "lucky".

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purplecorkheart · 14/02/2025 19:37

I agree, it is a cost to the Council that the money could be used better in many ways. It is a form of littering.

Yellowbananasarebetterthangreen · 14/02/2025 19:37

Its really no different to dropping litter imho. And its naff/tacky.

MegTheForgetfulCat · 14/02/2025 19:36

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:27

Nah, they can be cut off.

People want to do something cute.

It’s fine.

There are plenty of cute things people could do that don't involve vandalism. In Paris they've had to put up plastic barriers along the Pont Des Arts because the stupid locks were causing structural damage to the bridge (as well as being an eyesore).

Toddlerteaplease · 14/02/2025 19:35

They completely ruin the Albert Dock in Liverpool.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:35

Poppyseeds79 · 14/02/2025 19:30

That's like saying it's fine if loads of people shit in the street, as it can be hosed down 🙄

If you go onto the shoes on/shoes off threads people mention trailing shit in.

Clearly it happens.

Medieval Chic.

Toddlerteaplease · 14/02/2025 19:34

Totally agree. They were on my local news. They look awful.

Bruisername · 14/02/2025 19:34

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-lovers-locks-collapsed-part-overloaded-bridge-paris-180951705/

it’s eco unfriendly and costs everyone to remove - given how councils are struggling to pay for things that’s not great

performative nonsense

(signed - not a romantic)

Youcanttakeanelephantonthebus · 14/02/2025 19:33

Pooh sticks is much better. Whoever's stick comes through first gets to keep the fine china after the divorce.

MegTheForgetfulCat · 14/02/2025 19:31

LifeIsAMeatball · 14/02/2025 19:20

It’s a very lovely sentiment but one lock then attracts many. This causes problems with maintenance, repairs and upkeep. Eventually they can affect structural tolerance and load bearing, potentially threatening historic structures that have stood for hundreds of years before a shed load of people bought cheap Matalan/Amazon suitcase locks and clamped them on.

I think if your relationship breaks down it should be classed as a littering offence if you don’t go back and remove it within a set period. That should get rid of a lot of them 😆

I think if your relationship breaks down it should be classed as a littering offence if you don’t go back and remove it within a set period.

It's not a lovely sentiment. Nothing like a bit of criminal damage to say true lurve, eh?...

Poppyseeds79 · 14/02/2025 19:30

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:27

Nah, they can be cut off.

People want to do something cute.

It’s fine.

That's like saying it's fine if loads of people shit in the street, as it can be hosed down 🙄

SnoozingFox · 14/02/2025 19:28

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:27

Nah, they can be cut off.

People want to do something cute.

It’s fine.

I think we could all think on much better things for Councils to be spending their money on.

OP posts:
Idontjetwashthefucker · 14/02/2025 19:28

Tacky

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/02/2025 19:27

Nah, they can be cut off.

People want to do something cute.

It’s fine.