Amish & Cars: 6 Surprising Facts

[@kathyhester3066]

When Amish teens/young adults are out & about during Rumspringa a century ago there fewer differences between them & English teens. Now times have changed & I wonder if they are experimenting more w/drugs, alcohol, sex? If yes, how are their parents/community handling some of the problems that might arise such as addictions to alcohol/drugs, STD's or pregnancy? Parents must be scared about all this stuff. Thank you in advance for your reply. Your channel just popped up one day & I've been watching for the last couple of months. I really enjoy your content & information.

[@leonb2637]

When I stayed overnight just outside Wheeling, WV near an area with 'big box' stores, I noticed the vans used by Amish for longer trips including outside a Cabella's sporting good superstore. Guess they used it as a 'pit stop' for the potty. Some were walking around the store and getting an unique experience, some may buy clothing or other items they need for their work. I understand some of the van travel is to set up potential marriage partners and not have a partner be a 1st or 2nd cousin with potential genetic problems.

[@angeliquelivezey2216]

Now my neighbors definitely use an Amish taxi pretty regularly. Especially after one of their buggies got hit in the early summer. The community around me are allowed to drive tractors for work and regularly do. My neighbors just last month used a greyhound bus to visit family in Wisconsin. We live in southern York county, PA.

[@janeEyreAddict]

Interesting, are they old or new order? My understanding was that old order don't use tractors

[@angeliquelivezey2216]

@@janeEyreAddict pretty sure all the ones around me are old order.

[@janeEyreAddict]

@@angeliquelivezey2216 I misread I thought you said they were allowed to drive tractors *to work!

[@angeliquelivezey2216]

@@janeEyreAddict well one of my Amish neighbor's does own an antique steel rim tractor. But he uses it mostly to use more as a motor for a pulley system that helps them get the tobacco into the top part of the barn.

[@Maxaldojo]

My Amish hunting mentor and his family use Amish drivers. He works at a lumber mill and controls the mill's machines from a computer in a climate controlled office. He guided me on my only successful turkey hunt. We met at a farm where my friend exchanges farm work for hunting privileges. He drove the farm's side-by-side to our hunting spot, he called in a flock of wild turkeys and I harvested the gobbler. His Amish brother owns a small gas power boat and I have pulled the boat from Middlefield in Geauga County, Ohio to Lake Erie to fish for Walleye. When I harvest a deer, I take it to their house, where we butcher the deer. They have a generator to charge battery operated devices like handheld lights, knife sharpener and sawzall. They also have a gas powered meat grinder. And, they all wear headlamps when moving around in the dark. Thanks for sharing!

[@kerrykerry5778]

Erik, I wonder how many folks are aware of a delivery service that is pretty big, here in Lancaster county? There is an outfit with a pretty large collection of vans (I've seen 8-10 of them parked in one lot in New Holland) that specializes in quick local delivery of goods from suppliers in the area, often directly to Amish farms and homes. So, you can order paint, from the Amish paint store in Kinzers, hardware from the Amish farm supply in Bird-in-hand, and a door from the Amish building supply in Gordonville, and have them all delivered by the "Amish UPS" to your farm, in Georgetown, in a day or two. This saves hiring a driver and spending a few hours doing a twenty mile loop through the county. I see the vans all over as they are easily identifiable, since they have advertising signs from a dozen or more of their biggest businesses, stuck all over the van. Everything from paint, hardware, and farm supplies to heath food.

[@AmishAmerica]

Very neat, that's not something I've heard much about but not surprised as it makes great sense. Do you know more or less when it started up?

[@johncollins719]

There is a very talented Amish sawyer who works at a hardwood sawmill - lumber yard in Oxford PA. He has a very nice diesel pickup. He parks it at the lumber yard when not using it, never takes it to his home.

[@ThePanda5001]

love how they're all sitting there on the bus or train singing, they have got very good voices!!

[@AmishAmerica]

That's a great clip, was happy to find it. The song is apparently an old country hit by Bill Anderson called “Po’ Folks”

[@ThePanda5001]

I shall have to look that one up, thank you for telling me!

[@carlthornton3076]

Very Good!.

[@williamchristopher1560]

Here in NE OKLA, the Amish an d/or Minnonites/ drive tractors here, both for farming and to travel short distances. Theyll have an old pickup rear end hooked to the tractors to haul stuff with

[@farmcentralohio]

Yoder Toter :) Many Amish around here at least use a farm tractor like a car. They can't get a drivers license, so no cars or trucks.

[@GaryCameron780]

I'm enjoying your videos. Uber sounds like an excellent solution for the Amish.

[@DaveSomething]

I've hired an Amish guy to do skilled labor, the happy fellow showed up in his own truck... had a cell phone. but during off-work hours he did the horse/buggy. speaking of phones, he had a home phone, that was in a little "shack" outside a window from the house.

[@DaveSomething]

I typed that before I finished the video, yes, he was from Garnett, KS.

[@debbimeyersbrant5752]

Here in my town Herald Mishler used to drive the Amish I've told you numerous times where I live but anyway the longest trip he made was to a funeral in Indiana. He is deceased now this was my first husband's dad the one that actually left the Amish communities it was Harold dad that actually left so anyway I have friends that actually drive the Amish around

[@Kev4Kev]

Ive personally witnesses either two Amish or Mennonite using Uber this was several years ago in Washington DC around 2017 or 18. I was in an Uber pool and the driver picked up two people near the Washington Monument whom were either Amish or Mennonite that were dressed like the English but you could still tell via the haircuts, mannerisms, accent and the questions that they asked. The driver and I both were shocked and didnt expect that.

[@290wayne]

Interesting. Thank you....

[@susiecox8413]

I like the Parke County sign! That is my neck of the woods at about 15 miles south of me. Also, Arthur Illinois is just under 100 miles from me.

[@buckspa]

At 6:25 I was surprised that inside the buggy's reflector triangle it looks like there is a Chevy logo.

[@AmishAmerica]

Yes that would be a Chevy decal. Some Amish youth put car logos and other decals on the backs of their buggies. No evidence that it increases their speed though:)

[@indianne9781]

@@AmishAmerica 😂🤣😂

[@akabga]

@@AmishAmerica I'm surprised their parents allow decals in their home. Wouldn't it be considered an idol?

[@strange-universe]

@@akabga more of a pride thing possibly

[@TheMtggrl]

Some years back my late husband and I visited a B&B in Paradise, Pa. where the owners home was located on a small piece of land between two huge Amish owned farms (the Amish farm owners were brothers) and they knew the owners of the B&B very well, in fact each morning one of the brothers came in to have coffee with the guests at the B&B to answer our English questions. One morning while there we saw a young Amish man running across the back yard of the property towards the Amish home next door, he waved as we all sat there watching from the communal breakfast table. We were shocked to find out that the young man was in Rumspringa and he owned a truck which was parked in the driveway at the B&B, apparently his parents would not have it on their property so he cut a deal and was able to park it right next to all of our cars, he was apparently just coming in after a very long night out and was late for his farm chores. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit each morning with Aaron who's farm was across the street, he was funny and honest and quite enjoyable to converse with, I truly learned quite a bit from him. We never returned though I wish we could have, I do truly have great memories of that area and the people. Now I know you're not Amish, but my gosh I'm still learning so much about the these people and their ways, thank you for presenting so much information in such an enjoyable way.

[@frydemwingz]

kind of a downer to know it's somewhat common for some Amish people to use smartphones because those things are peak modernity and I would argue wildly excessive in more than one way. I understand having a regular business phone they would have access to because it's really hard to conduct business without access to a way every business in the country communicates, but a smart phone? If I was somehow able to be assimilated into one of their communities, I would run over my smartphone with my horse & buggy and never look back. I am forced to have one for work. I think if I were a convert, I would be the most hardcore 'plain' Amish guy ever after being driven crazy by all this stuff.

[@kerrykerry5778]

I guess all the Amish men that use I-pads and laptops for business, would really not sit well with you then. I watched an Amish crew bidding a building restoration, up the street from me in Strasburg, Lancaster county. One young Amish guy would type notes on his I-pad, then use it to take digital pics. of the work. This is a community with strong business skills, and huge success at all types of business. Smart phones and computers are a requirement in dealing with the English, so they are both pretty common. Cell phones have been commonly used for at least a decade or more here. I'm now seeing Amish retail businesses that do a lot of business with both the Amish and English communities, who had spent decades only accepting cash or checks, putting card readers on the counter and taking all the major credit cards. A few years ago the "CASH OR CHECK ONLY" sign on the door of a local Amish business was common. Now, it's often replaced with the Visa/Mastercard/ Discover Card sticker.

[@jek__]

In this day and age it's often far easier to set up a simple phone connection with a smartphone than with an old fashioned corded phone, even an old style cell-phone has trouble communicating with the modern ways we send phone traffic. Plus, phone satelites and towers are being replaced by internet based communication that acts much like phone calls and text messages from the user end, but can't intercommunicate on the back end, and without a smartphone all of those services are unusable. You can put a smartphone into a simplified mode where it removes much of the notification spam and advanced features and turns it into something more similar to a classic flip phone, I somewhat assume some amish would be partial to using those simplified modes. Simply put, back-end support for old fashioned phones is dwindling and makes them difficult to use or impossible depending on your area. As far as the simplicity of the actions that must be taken in order to facilitate using technology, smart phones are simpler than many other phones. Getting old technology to work can take some technically advanced troubleshooting

[@BrettsCorner92]

In Sarasota, Florida, there's an Amish community that uses smartphones, technology, etc. Etera, but only when they're there. They even have air conditioning in their homes.

[@mq5276]

My daughter works with and also is a driver. Her boss was Amish when she first met her, but she left the church and divorced her husband. Her mother will ride in a car that she is driving but her father will not. If she's not the driver it's ok. Incidentally, my daughter's boss also did some bodybuilding competition... that's after Amish, of course.

[@cindynielson4231]

My cousin in Osseo, MI has had her Amish neighbors ask for rides in her vehicle.

[@drewfullam8873]

I have a friend that made Amish taxiing his and his wife's retirement jobs in Southern Lancaster County. As a side benefit for them the Amish girls will come over and take care of their lawn and flowers.

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

5 minutes in, the Amish in the waiting room. Birmingham Intermodal transportation center, serving Amtrak, intercity and local transit bus.

[@SpanishSubtitledSongs]

The more I see your channel the more I learn that Amish love to skip the Amish rules :-)

[@strange-universe]

keep in mind that there is no one set of Amish rules.

[@Petra44YT]

I guess I must be a concealed Amish, I use the tram and subway. :-)

[@mariayelruh]

I was surprised to see an middle aged Amish man use Driver's License as ID at a mud sale in Lancaster County, PA. I asked someone about it and they said he got it before he joined the church and likely kept it current, but didn't drive.

[@AmishAmerica]

Interesting to hear he likely keeps it current. I'd guess just for ID purposes

[@kimfleury]

Not to be political but....the current controversies about having to prove identity to vote comes to mind 😆

[@kerrykerry5778]

@@AmishAmerica PA has a non-driver photo ID available just for that purpose. It looks like a state issued driver's license and you get it from the agency that does the normal licenses.

[@efolinsky]

@@kerrykerry5778 I believe all states do

[@annemaguire657]

Love a always, I’d live to met you xx

[@ironleatherwood1357]

I'm glad I found your channel, we are from Tennessee I was wondering if you have ever visited the Mennonites in Kentucky. What would you say is the main difference between those two? Thanks my name is David

[@mr.bluegrass9723]

who makes the buggies and about how much do they cost

[@SantaFe19484]

What about the "black bumper" Amish?

[@crazywisdom2]

Great vid. So do Amish, and Mennonite tend to write letters, or use a house phone ? Or do they tend to write more letters ?

[@AmishAmerica]

Thanks! Most use the phone a good bit but pen and paper communication is certainly more alive among the Amish. To take one example correspondence newspapers where are Amish writers write in to report weekly or monthly on their communities are quite popular

[@apaul8132]

Why the Amish is not considered a cult

[@Melissa0774]

Does anyone find it hypocritical that they don't believe in driving vehicles themselves but they're perfectly willing to rely on others who do it?

[@protofmaster]

I don't find that hypocritical. As I understand it, it's not that the Amish think that technology is necessarily bad. But anything that detracts from their community life is something that needs to be carefully handled. I have also read that they don't want to possess things that will make them seem superior to others in their community. They would rather "do without" something that could become a source of pride for them. This is indeed a concept that is foreign to most people in our culture today.

[@Melissa0774]

@@protofmaster I find it hypocritical that they think it's ok for other people, outside of the community to do it, but they wouldn't want their own kids to do when they grow up, because they'd have to not get baptized. And they want them to get baptized, right?And many of them shun the ones who didn't get baptized. I also saw a TV show, a while back, where they were talking about how this one Amish community had a big problem with this rare, disabling genetic disorder because there's not a huge selection of people to marry, who are not distantly related, somehow. The family they interviewed had this Chinese doctor who specialized in the disease, coming into their home to treat the kids. I find that kind of hypocritical too, because they don't want their own kids going to college, or even high school because it makes them to "worldly." Yet they're perfectly ok with a person from China, who did go to college, coming into their home, so that their kids can live. As if that's not the definition of "worldly."

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Not sure hypocritical but it does elevate this to a high-brow, haves, have-nots, situation. That is, the Amish who are affluent (yes, a good chunk of them out there) can readily afford a hired car anytime, anywhere. While the less affluent Amish cannot afford it, even if it would help their lives out quite a bit (i.e. going to the doctor office quite a distance off). It almost reminds me of living in NYC, with folks in the upper east side always having a hired car ready for them waiting once they get downstairs. Sure, you're not driving, but that is a luxury by many definitions when you have a driver who does it for you.

[@johngoebel7967]

Maybe they could get a car that drives it self ?

[@grahamhayden8969]

Why don’t you see any Amish riding horseback for travel?

[@AmishAmerica]

Some do, it's just not that common. I used a photo of an Amishman on horseback a few videos ago. Part of it might have to do with it being something like a sport, and also not really a practical form of transport for a family. The times I've seen Amish on horseback have usually been unmarried young women. But, you'll see it sometimes, also there are Amish horse trainers. There was also one unusual event I attended where my Amish friend Mose Smucker rode horseback, you can see him in several photos here: amishamerica.com/amish-rodeo/

[@nelliebly6616]

Lack of space for bags/groceries?

[@kimfleury]

@@himself2 horses don't need gps. My mom has a family genealogy put together by an aunt who interviewed people who knew mom's great-great-grandparents who were farmers. My great-great-great-Grandpa packed farm produce into his buggy and took it to town early every Saturday morning. The neighbors told my aunt, "If he made good money in sales, the horse would bring him home." In other words, he got drunk.

[@bradfordrusso7480]

Can you say "Hypocrite"? I can. I'ved lived in Lancaster County, PA all my life. 65 years. I KNOW the inside dirt; UGLY TRUTH. I am NOT a naive tourist from NYC. Who Only sees the White-wash.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Isn't the point of avoiding technology to not make life too easy for oneself?

[@mikejanecek3738]

They sure are trusting to put a 70,000 dollar diesel truck in an English guy’s name

[@michaelacatherinesimon2580]

Cars are from the devil They are built to drive wwwwaaaayyyyy to fast I would drive an amish horse and buggy if I could but government says that's not allowed where I live