The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) named Paris, the capital of France, as the number one city destination on the planet.
According to the council's report, the tourism sector in the city contributed nearly $36 billion USD to its overall 2022 GDP.
However, locals have started warning visitors to be extra careful.
A few days ago, content creator Erin Tridle (@erintridle) posted a video to inform everyone that some Parisian street vendors are storing the food and drinks they sell in the sewers.
Street food is a huge part of the local culture, but travel content creator Erin Tridle advises people to be careful with it when they're exploring Paris
Image credits: Alexander Baranov / Wikipedia
"I just found out the most disgusting reason you should absolutely never go to one of those sketchy, illegitimate-looking crepe stands in Paris"
Image credits: erintridle
"Seriously, when I found this out, I was just like, 'uh, uh, uh, no.' So I'm an American who lives in Paris, and I am one of those people who definitely eats street food."
"I love street food, I'm big into it, but I have decided that maybe that is not the path for me here in Paris"
Image credits: erintridle
"Because street food in Paris, well, there's a little problem with the storage habits. So, a while back, I made a video about water bottle scams in Paris that happen very rarely, but they're kinda gross.
And, actually, Amanda Rollins, American Fille, responded and told me the grossest thing about those water bottles that are sold out of buckets is that they're stored in the sewer."
"Guess what else is stored in the sewer? Crepe batter, kebab materials, sandwich materials, all of those illegitimate food stands that you see around the Eiffel Tower and in other tourist spots"
Image credits: erintridle
"Yeah, they're storing their food in the sewer overnight. Oh my God, so gross. And guess what? I have the receipts to prove it"
"Le Parisien, a trusted news source here in Paris, did an investigative article on the storing of street food materials in the sewers. And here is the article that they put out. They also put out a video, but in case you don't read French, I will go ahead and switch over to the translated version.
So when you translate the page from French to English, this is what you get. I'll get out of the way. 'Paris: in Champ-de-Mars, pancake batter,' or crepe batter, 'sold on the street is stored… in manholes. This is a task less than a year before the Olympics, on the lawns of the Eiffel Tower, an obligatory passage for tourists in Paris, street vendors are swarming with dangerous sanitary practices. Outraged local residents, elected officials, and institutions are sounding the alarm.' This was published in October 2023, so this was fairly recent. They also made a video on the subject."
Image credits: erintridle
Local newspaper Le Parisien really did report that these vendors, who sell crepes and sandwiches, were found storing ingredients in manholes along the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower.
"Many use frozen dough that has been stored in questionable conditions. To mask the smell and rancid taste, they sprinkle it with vanilla sugar," one vendor told Le Parisien in French.
The outlet also posted a video consisting of several clips of people removing bags containing food from sewer access points and electricity grates.
One recording even showed a man placing a bucket underground and walking to a food cart.
Crepe batter and other types of food, such as meat and beverages, were also found stored in manholes, hatches, and vents, Le Parisien said, citing a resident who lives in the 7th district — an affluent neighborhood and home to the Eiffel Tower. Another local resident added that the food is then reheated and put up for sale.
"There's video evidence showing people storing, like, crepe batter and other street food materials in the sewer"
Image credits: erintridle
"Super gross! But, yeah, also, they show you videos of the kind of stands you should be looking out for"
"I'm gonna show those to you now so you can identify them when you come to Paris. They also point out people who are cooking sandwich meat and kebabs on, like, these giant tin rounds on top of, usually, a shopping cart. I mean, you would think people wouldn't necessarily buy food from a shopping cart, but it does happen. So if you're coming to Paris, make sure you're eating at legitimate places, at legitimate stands that have refrigeration in place."
Image credits: erintridle
"If you're eating at a crepe stand that is on the back of a bicycle, there's a good chance that you're eating at an illegitimate crepe stand and that what you're eating was stored in the sewer"
Image credits: erintridle
Erin's video has since gone viral
Image credits: americanfille
The authorities say they are aware of the problem
Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hospitality Trades and Industries of Paris and the Ile-de-France, acknowledged the problem and said the sellers represent a public health risk.
Delvau told Le Parisien they have no way to wash their hands, and their food stands are often not licensed, meaning many of the vendors themselves are undocumented and exploited by criminal organizations.
They also present unfair competition for local licensed restaurants that "pay rent, fees, and need to face inspections from hygiene regulators," Delveau added.
Nicolas Nordman, deputy mayor of Paris, told Le Parisien he was aware of the dangers these vendors pose, especially to people visiting the city.
"We must warn potential consumers, often tourists, of the dangerousness of the products on sale, because it is a real public health issue," he explained.
Rachida Dati, the mayor of the 7th district of Paris, told Le Parisien that the city has started cracking down on these ill practices.
People online, including another American living in Paris, Amanda Rollins, have been talking about these practices for at least a few weeks now
However, Amanda Rollins, an American content creator based in Paris and the woman behind the blog American Fille, thinks the authorities probably won't eradicate the issues in the near future.
"The guys who sell drinks on the street and at monuments are the same guys who sell mini Eiffel towers, love locks, cigarettes, etc," she told Bored Panda. "They're unlicensed—these guys show up every day and sell their stuff; it's already illegal, but no one stops them. Also, it's not [that] problematic."
Rollins also addressed the question on her TikTok account. "I've personally seen them storing drinks and ice buckets in the sewers in multiple areas, under manholes and in the sidewalks, like 20 times."
But that doesn't diminish her overall opinion of Paris, where she's been living for 6 years now. "I love it; it's the best city in the world," Rollins said.
"I find Paris to be quite clean, compared to NYC, for example. It isn't perfectly pristine, but it's very clean."
Many has been really appalled by them
