Paris, City Of Romance Rues New Image As 'The Dirty Man Of Europe,' Dustbin
Paris, city of romance, rues new image as the dirty man of Europe. The French capital, despite efforts to deal with litter, graffiti and dog mess, is grubbier than ever. The Guardian, Sept. 23, 2019.
Parisians living on the Boulevard Saint-Martin, a main east-west axis north of the Seine, last week found that the plane trees along their street had been “tagged” with graffiti. But it’s not new. Apartment doors, shop fronts, flower boxes, benches and lamp-posts have been covered in tags for weeks. Months even.
Along the boulevard to the landmark Place de la République – looking shabby despite a £20m facelift six years ago – the homeless dozed in doorways or on benches, sleeping bags pulled over their heads. The pavements were littered with abandoned electric scooters and bicycles, and punctuated by dog mess and cigarette ends. A man walking west opened a new packet of cigarettes and threw the cellophane and silver paper on the ground.
The city of light and of romance has become a dirty old town, or as locals have nicknamed it, Paris poubelle (dustbin Paris).
On Saturday, World Cleanup Day, Parisians were urged to pick up the mess they and visitors have made. “Paris is definitely getting dirtier. It’s filthy everywhere. The city needs an aggressive policy to make the streets cleaner and safer,” said Matthew Fraser, professor of communications at the American University of Paris, who has lived in the city for the best part of 30 years.
“Paris thrives on its own moral chaos. Nothing is organised, everything is urban anarchy. I don’t think Parisians notice it, because it’s their chaotic energy. But if you’re from the outside, or from another culture, the city is a mess.”..More...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/22/paris-dirty-image-litter-dog-mess
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