Famed Paris Canal Saint Martin undergoes a massive cleanup by Paris authorities revealing more than a decade worth of hidden finds.
People crowded the area on January 05, when the draining started. They are curious to know the interesting things the canal has collected for 14 years.
A local office-worker, Marie, started taking photos of the mountains of old wine-bottles, scores of office chairs, bikes, rolled-up carpets, wheelie suitcases and street signs stranded in the muddy pit, as reported by The Guardian.
Another famous find from the Canal is a gun. It was then surrendered to local Police. Paris's Vélib hire bikes were also picked up from the sludge.
This multimillion clearing operation is said to last for three months. Engineers used a small dam to drain the canal that shoved 3.2 million cubic feet of water to the Seine River. The full account of all items to be recovered is yet to be announced, but the view from the bridges already exposes the huge amount of waste and items that will soon be hauled by tractors.
Bernard, a public sector worker, also expressed his frustration upon seeing the immense quantity of waste. In a report by The Guardian he said, "That's Paris for you, it's filthy," he sighed. "The last time, I don't remember seeing so much rubbish in it. I despair. The Bobos are using it as a dustbin."
"Bobos," an infusion of the words 'bourgeois' and 'bohème,' are characterized by their traditional bourgeois or elite standards with a flair for the arts, organic stuff, and environmental movements. In Paris, bobos typically reside in the central arrondissement. They usually meet up around Canal Saint Martin, which is probably the reason why many are pointing fingers at them as the main culprit for the Canal's waste problem.
