3 Reasons Why Amish Use Scooters
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 січ 2025
- Why do some Amish ride scooters - and other Amish ride bicycles? I share 3 reasons why - and tell you all about Amish scooters. I also share 2 unusual bikes you'll see in some Amish places. One has been rather controversial in an Ohio community.
Beginning in 2004, I sold books door-to-door to the Amish. I visited over 5,000 Amish homes in the process. Since then I've been to dozens of Amish communities in 16 states. I write about the Amish at amishamerica.com/
Image credits: Jim Halverson, S.I.
The article I cite in the video is "Why do the Amish ride scooters? What's the difference between a black and gray buggy? [We the People]" by Mickayla Miller for Lancaster Online (January 20, 2020) at lancasteronlin...
On a sort of sidenote, bicyclists played a major role in lobbying for paved roads. There are some local tales of the main street in town becoming impassable every spring with the melting snow and spring rains returning the native land to swamp.
Here in Lancaster Co I see a ton of scooters. Young boys fly by on long hilly roads. And it seems to be "the cool thing" for them to crouch down with arms up overhead to hold the handlebars for zooming down big hills! Looks like fun!
Horse and buggy Mennonites around Shippensburg, PA, are really into the recumbent bikes! I always found that fascinating when I lived down there.
When I visited the Amish community in Jamesport, MO I noticed they used scooters. I asked and was told that a bicycle can take you out of the community and a scooter cannot. They want you to stay within the community.
There is something to that, as far as bicycles having a much greater range. I know some young (well they'd be adults now) Amish fellows who used to go on long-distance bike trips across the US.
i rode a scooter 15 miles last week, it's doable but definitely not very fun
@@AmishAmerica Is the ground clearance enough for long trips across country? If they did it then maybe it is?
Considering world travel with one of these. So any insight is appreciated thank you.
I'm in Geauga county near a large Amish community. I was really wondering about the scooters versus bicycles. Thanks for the info. I've seen them towing various types of carts, including insulated carts. Bikes would really open up the ability to travel in this area. The kids really get around on their scooters. It's pretty common to see them on the weekends traveling up the local bike path having a great time. The Amish bike shop you showed was super interesting. I might have to make a road trip down there to check it out.
Absolutely Kevin, glad if it shed some light. It's one of those questions that keeps coming up over the years so I was happy to cover it. I wonder if there are any districts at all in Geauga Co that permit bikes (in Lancaster County you do see them to a limited degree in some areas, at the least with children/young people), I hadn't heard of it there though. The e-bike shop is worth checking out, and if you haven't been down as much to Holmes County vs. Geauga you might like it, the places have similarities, but a number of differences as well. Holmes County might be my favorite of all Amish communities.
I was at the Walmart in Mill Hall, PA a couple of days ago. This younger guy came riding up through the parking lot and over to the horse hitching post. At first I thought it was a bike.. until I saw him standing up. My mind was blown. I had never seen anything like that.
That young guy rode right through the horse crap, tossed his scooter in the tall grass, slammed some lemonade and then walked right through the horse crap and on into the store. It was so surreal! Lol
I've seen electric bikes. I saw him even with a flip phone. He said he was allowed to have a phone for business. And that it had a charge outside. Especially in Sarasota, Florida. I think there it's like Vegas for them. What happens there stays there?
I saw a comment here about an older lady riding a bicycle. When I reached bicycle age but wasn't getting the hang of it, my parents sent my bicycle along on my summer visit to my grandmas's, so she could teach me to ride; she did. This women always wore dresses, by the way, except when hulling black walnuts Then she wore a pair of oversized bib overalls or jeans with her dress tucked down inside, below the waist. I wasn't sure if it wa because of the walnut stain or for safety because she used an electrically powered spinning tire in the hulling--probably some of each.
I was out for my evening ride on my electric converted recumbent. I stopped at the gas station in Hopkinton NY, 15 very hilly miles from my home. Nearby was an Amish fellow standing by his horse and carriage waiting for someone. I rode up to him and we admired each others transport. After a bit of small talk, I asked him if he would like to trade for a week. He replied that the others would not approve so much. But he did not say no.
I love my interactions and buying food with the local Amish here. The community seems very conservative and they seem to do most business in English stores The nearest Amish store being about 70 miles away.
So how do those Amish charge their eBikes?
Neat story John. I wonder if the fellow you met wouldn't mind trying the recumbent for a week. Something tells me maybe not.
I checked the location of the place you mentioned because I'm always curious about that kind of thing (I guess the channel name kind of gives it away :) ). So looks like that's St. Lawrence County. St. Lawrence is one of those amazing counties (I call them "Amish supercounties") which has 6 separate Amish communities in it. I'm pretty sure that the Hopkinton-area settlement is also a Swartzentruber Amish community, like the one at Heuvelton. So they would be just about the plainest of all Amish. That doesn't mean they are not friendly though, and sounds like you had that kind of experience, glad to hear it.
The more progressive Amish who use eBikes would likely charge using a diesel generator. That's a pretty common way for Amish to have a limited power source. Some Amish use solar power for such purposes as well.
Yea absolutely agree about the fact they are people, which some do forget. They definitely stand out and I can understand why people are interested in them but good to keep the staring to a minimum if at all:) The Amish are a separate culture within the greater American culture, though they overlap to greater and lesser degrees with us. I still remember the first time I visited an Amish farm (at least as an adult) back in 2004. Made quite an impression.
It is my perception that the use of the bicycle in the Daviess County community has just exploded in the past several years. There's still a lot of buggies, but when there's a large gathering at (for example) Dinky's sale barn, you'll see hundreds of bicycles.
Interesting Jim, right I don't recall a lot of bicycles when I was there but that was quite some time ago. Things can change of course.
I was outside of Bart Pa. and I pass a Amish male on a E-scooter on the roads, the motor was in rear wheel.
I wonder if he was on the way to the firehouse?
I love your videos, they are so informative! I read a lot of Amish fiction and your videos complement what I learn in those stories well. Thank you!
Very happy to hear that Kimi, and I'm glad you found the channel. I try to balance the info I give - enough details of interest, but not too much that I'm going off on tangents :)
In the Amish community around my father's last home, the children who travelled any distance to school ride scooters. I saw them transition from predominantly horse and buggy to scooter in less than a generation. For their community, it was a practical and approved change. I don't know if bicycles are permitted, but I haven't noticed any. I don't see the youngsters using their scooters for travelling shorter distances.
The thing I find most fascinating about the Amish is the phrase "except". Can the the Amish do X, Y, or Z? No, except. Fascinating.
I wonder if I'll be seeing you do a video about the Amish who own cruel puppy mills. Because some of them do.
Karen
There was an Amish man on a scooter on the turnpike last week. God bless him
Are either the bicycle or scooter used by the Swartzentruber Amish
My particular area of Pa. does not allow either. Most counties around us do allow scooters. Some areas that you see bikes, they are what we call horse and buggy Mennonites. I’ve always wondered how long a pair of shoes last with a scooter.
Do they ever ride horses? I don't think I've ever seen that
Scooters seem to be popular around Clymer NY.
Don't seem to see either bikes or scooters used by the amish around me in NW PA.
I was in Lancaster County 2 weeks ago and wondered WHY scooters instead of bikes. I wondered if there was some line that couldn't be crossed with the gearing that a bicycle encompasses.
maybe less maintenance ? I know as a kid I outgrew at least 2-3 sets of bikes but the scooter handles are more easy to adjust and you don't have to worry about the chains seizing up
I remember seeing some long pedal scooters in PA.
Where can I find them?
How are they called?
Some of the Amish in Trumbull and Geauga Counties are allowed to use e-scooters.
Sure beats walking! LOL!
I'd be interested to know whether there is there any difference between an individual community's views on single-speed bicycles (or even fixed-gear, where there's no option to freewheel) and bicycles with multiple gears. (Of course, that might descend into Scholastic 'angels-on-a-pinhead' discussion.)
Is there like a set date they can't use tech made after or how does it work. Like why is using battery power ok, but not from the power grid?
I think that's all decided by the elders of their community.
Wonder is anyone in Lancaster if they have E scooters now. Saw a couple this week hauling uphill and thought maybe it was electric.
Yes they do - you might have seen one of these: amishamerica.com/amish-firefighters-emts-using-motorized-scooters/ That report is from 3 years ago on their use by the Amish EMT/fire personnel (of which Lancaster Co has quite a few as you might know). The reasoning was that it makes getting to the firehouse that much faster and when seconds count... Once the first responders are using them regularly, it becomes easier for other Amish to use them too, no doubt a concern for some in that community
I was driving thru Bird In Hand and Paradise, Lancaster County, Pa last month (Sept 2021) and saw at least 3 electric scooters. Not EMT as one was a middle aged woman.
The Amish ride scooters in Lancaster, PA because their church wants all their members, to not go too far from the community. This is to limit exposure to outside the community where the "English" live.
Maybe the Amish might consider allowing those over 50 to ride Harleys? 🏍️ At least a moped!
Interesting comment re E Bikes, from the perspective that a Religious Group have "embraced the technology". Where I live they are now " a fad of the elderly" who can now cycle around the City, without effort, giving them the opportunity to access a form of physical exercise. Question - will Harley Davidson open a shop there soon?
Interesting!!
Because, I’m a Grandmother, l have to ask, do the Amish wear bike helmet? Or at least require that their children wear bike helmets? When I was a child bicycle helmets weren’t invented yet. 😳
Love kick scooters! Own Amish scooters!
maybe women find scooters easier to save dress caught in chains and its more conservative for a lady to stand and push than ride,
Tradition🎶
🤣
They are some Amish that ride 3 - bikes.
Maybe it could be bc. of the womens skirts/dresses, that scooters are more convenient to use for them..
i wont lie and e bike is cool but expensive!!
Less taping of the talker & more views of the actual subject. I didn't watch it because I would rather they narrate as they show what they're talking about instead of mostly just showing themselves and quick snippets of the subject. Very disappointing.
Republicans could learn something from this. If the Amish are willing to break out of their comfort zone and use technology to make their life easier, then Perhaps Republicans could be more progressive.