Bamberg’s sweetheart riders look old
When the chain bridge was still under construction, the costs increased almost hourly. Perhaps this is the reason why the proliferation of love locksmiths in the construction industry of the city is viewed with all the more suspicion.
As construction officer michael ilk recently told the city council, an attempt has even been made to numerically record the vast number of lovebirds hanging in the ropes above the regnitz river. However the enterprise was not crowned with success. With about 1000 of the dangling loyalty oaths the city payment official gave up exasperatedly.
However, the exact number did not change much the experts’ opinion about the risks and side effects of the new-fashioned relationship custom. From the point of view of the building authorities, the locksmiths are damaging the expensive bridge, especially the stainless steel cables and the post profiles.
Even if the many lovers who swore eternal fidelity on the bridge may not like to hear it in their ecstasy, if you look closely at the chain bridge after two winters, you will recognize the natural enemy of the love locksmiths. It’s not the city council. It is the rust, one could also say tooth of the time to it. A law of nature that in this case is accelerated by electrochemical corrosion. Because when two metals collide, the less noble one dissolves. Brass and nickel begin to rust rapidly, while the stainless steel cables get away with brown streaks.
If it were only the rust! The paint also seems to flake off faster on the kettenbrucke than elsewhere. "Often the locksmiths are pushed against the posts with force", the building consultant complains.
So what to do? How can we solve the problem without jerking the locksmiths on the buckets with the bolt cutter and risking a revolt of the lovers?? The construction company showed three ways: the corrosion protection on the bridge steel could be repaired – an expensive process that involved cleaning the ropes, sanding the guardrail posts, and repainting them. At least the manufacturer has already given notice of the warranty. But before that, the ornaments had to be removed piece by piece. A punishing job that, with 15 to 20 ropes, was not cheap either: it cost 8700 euros to get the bridge rust-free again in this way. Finally: rubber buffers could also help to defuse the conflict. But even anstob inhibitors have their weak sides: "they don’t look good, nor are they easy to keep clean", said the building consultant.
Clean, thread out or rubber buffer? There is a fourth, solomonic solution for the chain bridge: wait, drink tea and watch the situation on the river. Verbatim ilk said: "we suggest you do nothing." One year before the municipal elections, the building senate was happy to agree to this compromise. So lovers still have a grace period.
Peter rockelein (CSU) was the only city councilor who was willing to make a comment:" the bridge will last longer than many relationships that have been perpetuated here. That is not the serious damage."
