Paris is one of the world’s most Instagrammable cities and Parisians are sick of it. One colorful, cobbled street in particular, the Rue Crémieux in the 12th arrondissement, has become especially popular. Those who live on the street aren’t exactly thrilled, however, to constantly find themselves in the backdrop of tourist photos whenever they walk out of their doors or worse, have Instagrammers posing on their stoop or against their windows. Residents are calling for the city council to restrict access to the street at certain times, even asking for a gate that can be closed during peak traffic (and picture) times, like evenings, weekends, sunrise, and sunset.
Photo: Adisa/Shutterstock
This Paris Street Has an Instagram Problem, and Residents Are Sick of It
One resident of Rue Crémieux told 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 beneath the window, or bachelorette parties who scream for an hour. Frankly, it’s exhausting.” He added that on the weekend, up to 200 people are using the residential street for their photoshoots or videos.
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Travel blogger Kris Morton isn’t surprised by the residents’ frustration. Pointing to a broader trend of disrespectful behavior by Instagrammers, she told BBC News that elsewhere she often sees heavy congestion and delays at popular tourist spots around the world, due to people inconsiderately taking forever to snap Instagram photos. In one instance, she said, “We stood and waited for a couple of minutes while a woman had her male companion taking dozens of photos in different poses, blocking the whole pathway.”
The hundreds who line up to take the same Instagram photo at Roy’s Peak in New Zealand perfectly illustrate this trend.
She added that while simply taking photos for Instagram isn’t an issue, it should be done “with some common courtesy and respect for property owners, fellow visitors, and the environment.”
Whether the city council obliges the residents’ request still remains to be seen. 
H/T: BBC News