'Instagram away - but do it with some common courtesy' plea residents of Paris' picturesque street. Photo / Instagram
'Instagram away - but do it with some common courtesy' plea residents of Paris' picturesque street. Photo / Instagram
Cobble stones, pastel colours, bijou shutters and shop fronts - Rue Cremieux in the 12th arrondissement of Paris has all the ingredients for a postcard perfect holiday snap.
However photographers could soon be shuttered out.
Tucked away between busy Pont d'Austerlitz and the Gare de Lyon, it was only a matter of time before it was discovered by a smartphone lens. The hashtag #ruecremieux alone has had 31,892 pictures posted to it.
It has become an overnight sensation on social media, but not everyone is pleased with the street's newfound fame.
Picture perfect: Residents of Rue Cremieux are petitioning for gates to shutter out photographers. Photo / Getty Images
Locals are petitioning the city council to banish transient photographers from cluttering their doorsteps.
A resident told the radio station France Info: "We sit down to eat and just outside we have people taking photos, rappers who take two hours to film a video right outside our window, or bachelorette parties who scream for an hour. It's exhausting!"
The 150-metre street has spawned several Instagram pages dedicated purely to the pastel coloured pictures. The swathes of pictures give the impression of a fairytale French village invaded by backpackers in yoga pants.
Ironically one Parisian has even started an account documenting the unwanted photo shoots taking place on the cobbled street.
The street's inhabitants have had enough of being the backdrop to hundreds of thousands of tourist photos.
One solution is to put gates at each end of the street, which would be only accessible to residents.
Like other famous beauty spots around the world, such as Venice and Macu Picchu, the behaviour of picture-happy tourists has completely changed the nature of the street.
The hashtag #ruecremieux alone has had 31,892 pictures posted to it. Photo / Instagram
Ms Morton a resident of Rue Cremieux told the BBC how her daily routine is obstructed by tourists blocking her path.
Just taking pictures for Instagram isn't a problem and if it inspires people to travel and see the world it can be a great thing," she told the broadcaster.
"But intruding on private property, hogging photo spots so no-one else can enjoy them or take their own picture while posing for 100 different shots, or venturing over guardrails or off-trail for a better shot just aren't OK."
When asked what her advice to visiting photographers would be, Morton was far more understanding than other residents. "Instagram away - but do it with some common courtesy and respect for property owners, fellow visitors, and the environment."
