You might not be able to hail a traditional Uber ride in Colon, Michigan, but you can order up an “horse and buggy — and have a guaranteed memorable experience.
Timothy Hochstedler of St. Joseph County has decided to use his traditional Amish horse and buggy as a ride service for area customers he’s calling “Amish Uber” in a local, slowed-down twist on the ubiquitous taxi app. It’s worth noting that Hochstedler isn’t officially affiliated with Uber in any way; he’s just calling his service “Amish Uber.”
“Uber is a cool thing,” Hochstedler told local news station WWMT. “Every single year something new comes in and Uber is hot right now, so we have the Amish Uber. We can deliver people to their front door steps.”
Customers seem pleased with their experience, too. “It was fascinating. It’s not an activity you typically associate with the Amish,” one rider told the news channel. He doesn’t have an app; you have to flag him down in person. And he’s only available on weekends. (For those looking for a similar experience outside of Michigan, a carriage ride like the ones you can pick up in New York City’s Central Park should do the trick, although there’s a chance it will cost you more than the $5 Hochstedler charges.)
The Amish are famously deliberate about the way they choose to embrace – not – modern technology, often eschewing electricity and modern vehicles in favor of more traditional ways of living on the land. While central Pennsylvania is home to the largest Amish population in the U.S., there are also Amish communities across a number of primarily Eastern and Midwestern states.
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