Ocean City's love locks come down, upsetting locals and visitors alike

A large portion of the fence along the beloved Ocean City Fishing Pier is noticeably bare after heaps of love locks were removed without much warning in May. Now, signs urging people to refrain from attaching additional locks hang in their place.

Most of the locks and much of the fence along the pier have begun to rust as a result of the salt air. This safety concern is what ultimately led to their removal, a decision which has been met with much controversy from townsfolk and visitors alike.

Over time, many locks have been fastened to the fence in honor of loved ones who have died, engagements, marriages, births and countless other special occasions. Now, many of those same locks are missing, with no hope of being recovered.

"I agree with the community," said Maryland resident Briyiana Hernandez. "I just feel like it's not fair."

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When Dee Evans, another Maryland resident, first stepped foot on the Ocean City Fishing Pier — located at 401 South Atlantic Ave. — she was reminded of the famous Love Lock Bridge in Paris, France.

"It's a great idea," Evans said, noting how the love locks immediately caught her eye. She was surprised to hear that some have recently been removed due to safety concerns.

Beachgoer Brian Budd can understand why the locks may have needed to be removed. However, he believes the locks could have been discarded in a more thoughtful manor.

"If they need to take them down, don't just throw them away; put them in another location," Budd said.

"That would've been nice to put them on display, as opposed to throwing them away," Evans agreed. "If there was a commemorative placard, it would make people feel better. If the locks have to be removed for repairs or safety issues, I understand that. But, don't just discard the locks."

Evans believes even the rusty locks are deserving of safe storage.

"Find a happy medium for everybody," she said.

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A local resident with sentimental ties to Ocean City's love locks

David Horn has been working at the Ocean City Fishing Pier tackle shop for over 30 years, and has encountered a colorful cast of characters along the way. Some beachgoers who pass through his small shop come for the picturesque view, while others come to fish.

"I enjoy what I'm doing. I make people laugh," Horn said. "When somebody walks in the door, I greet them. My greeting is, 'How you doing, guys? Ready to go fishing?' That's my standard greeting, and that gets the ball rolling."

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The view from Horn's seat behind the register is simply unmatched.

"I like it up here. Look where I am — I'm over the ocean," he said.

Yes, the vast Atlantic Ocean is surely a sight to see, but Horn considers the view special due to his own personal connection to the love locks, two of which he looks upon daily from his chair.

"My wife passed away ten years ago. There's a lock out there with my name and her name," he shared. "I'm remarried, and there's a lock out there with my name and her name as well."

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'A lot of people are sad' about removal of Ocean City's love locks

Many local residents have expressed their distaste to Horn regarding the removal of the love locks.

"There's an older fella who's probably 90 years old who rides his bike down here every day," he said. "When I first started selling locks, he came in, got six locks for his family that had passed away, and put their pictures on all the locks. Every day, he would come and stand here for 30-45 minutes with his family."

Then, come May, the older gentleman was met with an empty fence where his six locks had previously been fastened together.

"He came up one day, and (the locks) were gone," Horn said. "He still comes, because that's his spot. But a lot of people are very sad."

According to Horn, once a portion of the fence was replaced and heaps of locks were removed, approximately four rolls of new fence were placed in a staging area nearby for future use. Yet, following the uproar from community members, the rolls of fence have since disappeared.

"The whole idea behind (the love locks) is to memorialize someone or something," said Horn. "They're special to people."

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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Love locks come down from Ocean City Fishing Pier, causing discontent