Lock Your Love

There are gifts that really give meaning to the saying ‘it’s the thought behind it that counts’ and a padlock is definitely one of them. It may be that your boyfriend is a down town Toronto locksmith and he took the first thing that he grabbed on to in his bag or maybe that he is a very cultured romantic guy, because as it turns out locks have many romantic thoughts behind them. Across the globe and especially along bridges, lovers have signalled their eternal promise of love by locking locks with their initials engraved on to them and throwing away the key, as well as any spare key.

In France, one of the most romantic spots is the Pont de Arts Bridge near Louvre. The beautiful bridge that is designed to resemble a hanging garden, does more than connect two points across the Seine River, it connects hearts. Lovers across the globe have travelled miles to come perform this love-locking ceremony. They purchase a custom-made padlock, lock it around the bridge, perhaps share a kiss and throw the key into the deep river where no one will ever find it. There is also another love bridge, and with Paris’ reputation as the city of love, it comes as no surprise: Pont de l'Archevêché. Local myth however, distinguishes the two bridges, stating that at the latter the lock signifies undying love between you and your lover, while at Pont de Arts Bridge it’s between you and your committed lover. One should be very careful where they decide to throw away their key.

The trend that is primarily believed to have really picked up around the 2000s is duplicated all over the world. Lovers’ locks can be spotted in Cologne, Montevideo, Florence and Vancouver. In Taiwan, they even get a special twist. Here they are referred at as wish locks and are fixed onto a train’s overpass. It is believed that the energy generated from the train will be transferred onto the locks and that the wish locked within the lock will come true. In addition, like every other romantic story this one has its share of opposition. Town councils have threatened repeatedly to remove the padlocks describing them as eyesores and distracting. Environmental concerns have also been raised about the number of metal keys that are thrown into the rivers.

It may seem a little over the top, but as the saying goes ‘all for love.” However, there is another side of the bridge that is rarely seen: the parts of the bridge where some of the paint, or even metal has been scraped off, revealing signs of a struggle. A struggle a despaired soul may have had while trying to wrench off the lock after the promise of love ended in a broken relationship. Hence, it is advised that one make a spare key and keep it, just in case. Moreover, in that regard, we revisit the issue of having a boyfriend who is a down town Toronto locksmith, and appreciate it.