What are love locks? Read on and all will be revealed

@JudyEv (382021)

Rockingham, Australia

April 29, 2023 1:51am CST

I wrote about ‘love locks’ in my discussion about the Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin, Ireland. Love locks are padlocks fixed to some public bridge, gate or other structure symbolising the unbreakable love between two people. The names/initials/dates might be engraved on the locks. Wikipedia says they date back at least 100 years. There is a lot of information on them in the article, too much to summarise here. For instance, the weight of the estimated 22,000 love locks on the Southgate footbridge in Melbourne, Australia, was causing the cables to sag. The love locks in the photo are on a bridge in Paris. Hopefully you can see individual locks in the small photo which is supposed to be an inset but isn’t.

11 people like this

11 responses

@LadyDuck (502427)

• Italy

29 Apr 23

Today it is forbidden to put love locks on the Pont des Arts in Paris. The bridge undergo major renovations, after the weight of those locks wore off a sections of fencing.

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@LadyDuck (502427)

• Italy

29 Apr 23

@JudyEv It is a shame that the old fencing of Pont des Arts had to be replaced because damaged by those locks. They do not even look pretty.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

@LadyDuck I don't think they look pretty at all. And I wonder how many of those couples are still together! lol

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

I'm not surprised that they are banning this practice.

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@Jenaisle (16568)

• Philippines

29 Apr 23

This is similar to the love locks at the Namsan Tower in South Korea. It's a wonderful testament that there are numerous lovers who wish their love would last forever.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

Love locks can be added to all sorts of places. However, it can be come problematic.

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@Jenaisle (16568)

• Philippines

29 Apr 23

@JudyEv Yes, that's happening too in Namsan Tower, the locks are weighing heavily, which may cause collapse.

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@rebelann (117224)

• El Paso, Texas

29 Apr 23

I did see at least a couple of those locks. I never would have thought anyone would do that sort of thing.

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@rebelann (117224)

• El Paso, Texas

30 Apr 23

Yes, I call it the mob syndrome.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 May 23

@rebelann That's a good name for it.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

One person starts a fad then the rest follow like sheep.

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@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

29 Apr 23

Yes I have also seen this photo long ago Judy. It is sweet token of love.

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@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

30 Apr 23

@JudyEv Maybe less than a third say

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

I suppose so but I wonder how many of these couples are still together.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 May 23

@RebeccasFarm I bet they never bother to go back and remove the padlocks.

@DWDavis (25797)

• United States

29 Apr 23

I remember watching a movie (I think it was a Hallmark Movie) about the locks on the bridge in Paris. Anna mentioned that the authorities have banned adding locks to the Paris bridge due to the structural damage they caused. It sounds like the bridge in Melbourne is in the same condition.

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@DWDavis (25797)

• United States

29 Apr 23

The name of the Hallmark movie about the love locks in Paris was "Love Locks."

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

@DWDavis Oh well, that shouldn't have been hard to guess, should it?

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

The weight becomes too much for some of the structures. Wiki mentioned a film about the love locks but I've forgotten the name of it.

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@Beestring (15372)

• Hong Kong

29 Apr 23

Love locks are too heavy. May cause problems.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

That's very true and it has already happened in some places.

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@AmbiePam (120738)

• United States

30 Apr 23

I guess some people find superstition romantic.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 May 23

I suppose so. I can't help wondering how many of these couples are still there - and do they remove the padlock if they break up?

@jstory07 (148730)

• Roseburg, Oregon

29 Apr 23

There are a lot of love locks there.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

There are indeed. I wouldn't want to count them.

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@wolfgirl569 (135736)

• Marion, Ohio

29 Apr 23

It's a cute idea but can be dangerous when there is too many of them

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

Too much of anything isn't usuallly good.

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@Ronrybs (21497)

• London, England

29 Apr 23

Interesting symbology, but I guess we couldn't use it until the age of cheap, mass produced locks. Maybe they used knots in 'olden days'.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Apr 23

It seems it started at least 100 years ago.

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@LindaOHio (222302)

• United States

1 May 23

Now it all makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

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@JudyEv (382021)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 May 23

I didn't think it explain it in the first discussion. I seem to do a lot of 'assuming' at times.

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@LindaOHio (222302)

• United States

2 May 23

@JudyEv No worries. It all works out in the end!

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