LOVER'S PADLOCKS

(Pecs, Hungary) From LewesLinks:

Lovers' Padlocks Overwhelm City

Mid-August saw the southern city of P�cs fighting a losing battle against a revival of a curious custom. Lovers secretly clamp padlocks on statues and gates all over the city centre as symbols of their enduring affection.

The curious tradition dates back to the early 1980s when lovers began fixing single padlocks, without any markings, on a wrought iron fence in the heart of P�cs. Now, with no room left on the fence, couples are fastening their love tokens on anything that will hold a padlock, including statues.

The city management firm first tried removing the padlocks, then launched a campaign to discourage the practice. Now, their final solution has been to erect an new iron fence exclusively for love padlocks. But the fence is not likely to work.

"This would kill the essence of the padlocking habit, its spontaneity and people's feeling that they are secretly leaving their mark," said art historian Ferenc Romv�ry.

Love binds people emotionally and spiritually, and, now, mechanically. This practice may not be that unusual. I've read about some people in the US also using padlocks while expressing their love.