Makeout Movie Heats Up City of Light

Vandalism, theft hurt pioneering program

(NEWSER) - A public bicycle-rental program launched in Paris in 2007 amid green good feeling has found reality to be a rough ride. Locals and tourists alike get unlimited access to Vélib’s fleet for about $1.50 a day, but some 80% of the $3,500 bikes have been stolen or damaged. “It’s a reflection of the violence of our society and it’s outrageous,” one Parisian tells the New York Times. “The Vélib’ is a public good but there is no civic feeling related to it.” More»

(NEWSER) - Tourism is down in the City of Lights, and the Paris tourist board thinks the city’s unfriendly reputation is to blame, Reuters reports. So it's begging the city’s populace to smile more, and has even recruited “smile ambassadors” to greet visitors near popular destinations. “We have to work on striking and simple images,” said the board’s head. “There’s nothing as telling as a smile.” More»

(AP) - Complete with new gray hairs and two bodyguards, a wax version of President Barack Obama took a trip to the Eiffel Tower today. The hot summer sun threatened to melt the fake president's face, prompting helpers to shade him with an umbrella. The statue then traveled to Paris' Musée Grevin wax museum, where it will stand as part of a heads-of-state display alongside renditions of Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, and Vladimir Putin. More»

Other 10 passengers survive after bridge crash

(NEWSER) - A father and his 6-year-old son were killed yesterday when a small Paris tourist boat stuck a bridge near Notre Dame Cathedral in the Seine, the BBC reports. The boat sank, trapping the two French passengers under water. They were declared dead at a local hospital. The other 10 passengers survived the accident. Investigators are trying to determine if a crash with another tourist boat in the busy river may have caused the tragedy. More»

Stretch your vacation dollar with these tips

(NEWSER) - With airline and entertainment prices rising, “free stuff isn’t just a bonus, it can be a vacation-saver,” writes Jeryl Brunner in Travel + Leisure, which offers 11 ways to beef up your trip on a budget.

1. House-swapping: Cancel the hotel, and vacation in someone else’s home for free while they reside in yours.