For the Want of a Plumber

Graphics from:www.plumberfinder.us

Open Letter to the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë:

For the want of a plumber, a city was lost.

Cher Monsieur Le Maire:

Certainly, plumbing is not the first thing on your mind. I wonder whether you have been obliged to personally pay a plumbing bill in recent years, as I write out a check for 318 Euros for the replacement of a toilet flushing mechanisme and the labor charges for an experienced ‘compagnon’ to do this simple procedure in two hours (mon oeil!) at 52 Euros per hour, I hope you will consider the possibility that the lack of a limit on charges for plumbers’ visits may eventually flush Paris down the toilet.

Consider this scenario. In our building, the plumbing probably dates from the time of its construction – which would have been app 1911. Do you think that anyone would ever consider calling a plumber to resolve the problem of dripping faucets, leaks or running toilets? Since 1911, I doubt that any owner or tenant has ever considered doing this except when there’s the risk of their apartment being washed away in the great deluge.

Being a relative newcomer to this city, I ignored my dripping faucet for one year. Finally, I decided it was time to be efficient and no longer wasteful of water. Now I know why everyone else ignores their dripping faucets or leaks, and why everyone in France must learn to ‘bricoler’ ie. putter. Plumbers are only called when ‘other people’s money’ pays. No one in their right mind would dream of calling a plumber until the water is literally up to their knees.

What does this mean for the beautiful city of Paris? It means that behind the belle façade, buildings everywhere in Paris are leaking. Wood is rotting, infrastructure is compromised.
Water is running.

In a previous post, I mentioned that a longtime Parisian said he would gladly pay taxi and train fare for a plumber to come to Paris from the provinces before he would ever consider calling a Parisian plumber. Which means more gasoline, more energy expended on transportation.

There are several solutions to this problem –
1) Every person who decides to purchase a Paris apartment must be required to have plumber certification.
2) A new municipal service-comparable to the Fire Department would be the Leak Brigade that repairs all leaks in private and public buildings in the city proper.
3) There should be a ceiling on hourly rates and charges for replacement parts by Parisian plumbers.
4) All immigrant certified plumbers applying for residency in Paris should be admitted immediately with wreaths of flowers, bottles of champagne, and an honorary wrench. Do not expect to receive much interest from Polish plumbers. They are already well established in London.

By Parisgirl | Permalink

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