Swartentruber Amish Need More Lights on Their Buggies

A video showing why the Swartzentruber Amish people really need to reconsider their stand on battery lights on their buggies. (And the fact that the car driver is most likely found at-fault in accidents such as this).

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Swartentruber
• Amish
• Need
• More
• Lights
• on
• Their
• Buggies

[Jerrid3]

I know of many authors who said when talking to the Amish they would tell the children or even parents about the movies and that was fine, it is like telling a story. It is just that the children or parents would not be able to watch it. Same goes for a Amish man loving baseball, but he could not have a TV or even a radio to watch or listen to the games and he was fine with that. But how are you going about getting the Amish to get their buggies lighted?

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 Well it is tough to be honest, but it would be ideal if I could get more support in maybe a bill that would change things. A few years ago the Swartz Amish were forced to add a 2nd light on their buggies, and they fought it hard, but they lost. So the odd response from the church leaders was that they would do it, but would require the members to put one of the buggy's lights higher then the other to make sure they are not the same as higher order Amish.

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 But still that was better then what was before. Maybe a little at a time we can get them to change. It is not about vanity, it is about safety. My brother was killed in a car-buggy crash when I was 2. It was however not related to lighting, it was related to drunk driving.

I am not going to make excuses for anyone, weather for drunk drivers, or for Amish people who put their own lives at stake and others by ignoring safety.

[Jerrid3]

@mrdeleted

I am from NJ. From one book I have read they were saying certain ones did not allow for tops and if it rained they had to use umbrellas. And none of the books I have read mentioned they could be white, only black buggies. If I could remember the name of the books I would tell you. One was a cook book though with half of it just the authors experience while getting the info over the years. But they were always plain dressed, no electricity, no electronics etc... Old Order Amish?

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 One question, what state are you from? Here in Ohio they do allow it both way with the top-buggies, I had not heard of any groups that don't allow it, but then again, there are some that only allow white or yellow buggies, as opposed to black. And Mennonite groups that only allow black cars. Personally I think a white buggy would be easier to see then a black one.

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 Yes some would hire drivers, I was myself one of their drivers for a time being (Not Swartz, they are not that modern) it was a Old Order group. They owned the truck, and would drive it around, but just not more then maybe next door. They had "photoless IDs". Personally I had not heard of them till I worked for them.

[Jerrid3]

@mrdeleted

It was from my understanding that the Amish never use electricity, cars or electronics. Now with the world becoming more modern and farming less ideal for the Amish, I have heard that men will get rides from people with cars, but they will not drive themselves and will work in factories far away with lights and electric machinery etc. But I never heard of them straight up using a computer. But I do know that some use covers for their buggies like in your video and some forbid it.

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 As for the books, it is hard to say, some are based at least in part on some Amish groups, and then there are some that are pure fiction. Obviously the ideal would be if the Author actually knew some Amish, but then again, there are many Amish groups, so from one group to the next, the rules are not all the same. In fact some of the more modern Amish use the computers more then some "English" people would, by going to the library. I have seen them go there to print stuff out Etc..

[mrdeleted]

@Jerrid3 Thanks, well I do know from David Yoder (Amishdeception is his username and he is my 3rd cousin) that Amish have been going on his website, and reading and posting on his old forum there too. I assume that they would do the same for anything that I post either on youtube or on my website. But lets be clear, I love my people, and do not have a desire to hurt anyone. I rather would like them to fix these issues rather then be posting videos about them that could be perceived as negative.

[Jerrid3]

@mrdeleted

I do not know the history of your life, nor do I need to know, although you do have my condolences regarding your father. But from the books I have read and stuff on the internet, Amish do not use computers. Now unless something has changed recently or the books I have read were complete crap, I still do not think they watch Youtube. But yea, they could have non Amish watching it... that would not surprise me.