thoughts on Amish

[Rafter S]

We're only speculating without more information, but a slow-moving buggy on a road with fast traffic is dangerous no matter the age of the buggy driver. If they were hit from behind by a driver that wasn't paying attention then it wouldn't have been any different if he'd been 40 instead of 10.

 

[dun]

The latest I so was that it was like a pony and trap type of cart, not a full sized Amish wagon. And they were on their way to school.

 

[Jogeephus]

We're only speculating without more information, but a slow-moving buggy on a road with fast traffic is dangerous no matter the age of the buggy driver. If they were hit from behind by a driver that wasn't paying attention then it wouldn't have been any different if he'd been 40 instead of 10.

Ditto that! Who amongst us hasn't had their sphincter draw tight while moving a tractor down the road because some idiot came flying up behind us not watching where they were going?

 

[Brute 23]

The problem is not the buggies or tractors on the roads... its the idiots doing 80 mph on their cells phone and never tapping the breaks when they see this type of equipment.

I grew up driving our Ford 5000 over 30 mi from property to property before I was a teen. By the time I was 12-13 we were driving trucks.

A couple of years ago I was hit by a Nissan car on a tractor. She never hit the breaks. She pushed the 90hp tractor and disk almost a 100yrs down the pavement. I started sliding sideways into the ditch. The only thing that saved me from being crushed when it rolled was the disk jack knifed. Both the hitches and pin were twisted. When I stopped the inside tire was off the ground and up against the disk.

A couple months ago my dad was hit driving 60mph at 6am on his way to work from behind by a little car driving too fast. They hit him hard enough to buckle the frame on impact. It shot him into the ditch where he rolled and slid on top the cab for several hundred yards. He crawled up the dutch and was by the road when other cars started to stop.

Point is... it doesn't matter if your 10 yrs old in a buggy... 25 on a tractor... or 60 in a truck... when these idiots come flying down the road no one is safe.

 

[jedstivers]

Like others have said, I bet that 10 year old boy was more than capable. Now as far as being on the road in a buggy it's not something I would do period. Just like no way in he!! I'd be on the hwy on a motorcycle and it's not because I would not love one or have confidence in my riding ability.
I have to cross a 4 lane hwy in my Big Red sometimes and I hate doing even that.

 

[greybeard]

I wonder what the comparison stats are for young kids killed in buggys and wagons compared to the same age kids riding in cars as their parents drove them along?

 

[tom4018]

I don't want to see anything happen that would interfere with the lifestyle they are trying to live. I do have many living in my area, so I've got quit a bit of first hand knowledge. I see them take some big chances with both their, and their families safety. Especially on some of the particular roads they travel.

Very tragic indeed.

I travel the thru Bigfoot country a lot. Horse and buggies run on a busy 4 lane highway all the time. I see some make some bad decisions crossing it, makes me wonder why more accidents have not happened. They are crossing all 4 lanes in areas with a 65 MPH speed limit seems sometimes when traffic is heavy they cut it close. They run the road in the dark a lot, some have a small light or triangle and others have nothing. Kinda scares you when you are running down the road on a dark rainy night and all of a sudden one is right there in the emergency lane. Kids are always on their bikes up and down this road and I see instances of several together with one sometimes too close to traffic.

Granted some Amish kids are more mature than other kids their age but as a parent I just don't know if I could live with myself if I put my kid out on that road and something happened to them.

I don't know any Amish personally but sometimes their simple lifestyle seems good, but other times I feel they take advantage of things. They use the roads for tractors and buggies but really don't pay for their upkeep. Guess I better shut up now. :hide:

 

[D2Cat]

I remember a few years back folks were making statements about the Amish and Mennonites not paying taxes for the roads they used.

The community leaders went to the local governments to contribute, but there was no paperwork in place for the local tax collector to document their funds. Funds were not accepted.

How about the folks who ride bicycles on public roads. Do they pay taxes for them?

So maybe we need not complain.

 

[tom4018]

I remember a few years back folks were making statements about the Amish and Mennonites not paying taxes for the roads they used.

The community leaders went to the local governments to contribute, but there was no paperwork in place for the local tax collector to document their funds. Funds were not accepted.

How about the folks who ride bicycles on public roads. Do they pay taxes for them?

So maybe we need not complain.

Not complaining at all. All kinds of people work the system in different ways. They have their beliefs and that is their right. Just as in everything their is good and bad in all people. But here they run up and down the road in larger tractors, buggies and bikes. These road were paid for by someone other than them.

 

[Nesikep]

Lets just say all the roads were gravel roads.. I think the Amish would be the first people out there with picks and shovels filling in the potholes while a lot of other people would be writing to their congressman.

I also think it's not prudent to let your young kids on busy highways in a horse and buggy, but that's not really my decision to make.

 

[TexasBred]

I remember a few years back folks were making statements about the Amish and Mennonites not paying taxes for the roads they used.

The community leaders went to the local governments to contribute, but there was no paperwork in place for the local tax collector to document their funds. Funds were not accepted.

How about the folks who ride bicycles on public roads. Do they pay taxes for them?

So maybe we need not complain.

Amish pay taxes. Local, state and federal.

 

[tom4018]

I remember a few years back folks were making statements about the Amish and Mennonites not paying taxes for the roads they used.

The community leaders went to the local governments to contribute, but there was no paperwork in place for the local tax collector to document their funds. Funds were not accepted.

How about the folks who ride bicycles on public roads. Do they pay taxes for them?

So maybe we need not complain.

Amish pay taxes. Local, state and federal.

I was just making the statement that in Kentucky they don't pay highway taxes unless they buy gasoline. They rub tractors around here with enclosed trailers hauling their family and I think it would be safe to say they use off road diesel, so they are not putting into the highway fund. Most of the Amish I have been around are hard working people, but the only personal dealings I have had with any is it a lumber place they run close to me.

I will say I have seen some near misses on the highway, sometimes a horse makes a side step and gets them out in the lane of traffic, sometimes crossing 4 lanes and other times it the kids on bikes. Then again there are idiots out there in cars, trucks and tractors.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I remember a few years back folks were making statements about the Amish and Mennonites not paying taxes for the roads they used.

The community leaders went to the local governments to contribute, but there was no paperwork in place for the local tax collector to document their funds. Funds were not accepted.

How about the folks who ride bicycles on public roads. Do they pay taxes for them?

So maybe we need not complain.

Amish pay taxes. Local, state and federal.

Nope, not true, atleast not here. We have over 20 different amish guys that work for us, out of those we have 4 or 5 every day depending in who wants to work that day. Been around them for years and know them well. They do not pay income tax and they don't pay real estate tax because there's a rotation they go through each week of who's house they have church in, so it makes there house 's all churches.

They are not bad people, but they are not quite as honest and as holy as many think they are. They will try to make jobs last longer to make more money and sit around on jobs or leave early when they think you won't find out. Nothing that doesn't happen with non Amish employees, but it's not like the Amish won't cheat a person.

As for the 10 year old driving, I don't have much of a opinion, as far as i know any 10 year old can ride a horse or bicycle up the side of the road. I guess the issues that come about from that are the parents problem.

 

[dun]

The only thing that bothers me about the Amish is if you have a job to be done and they take the day off for a"frolic". First time I heard about that I was POed until I found out that a frolic for the Amish is everyone getting together to do some project. Raise a barn, put up hay, etc.
The Amish around here must be more strict then some other areas. No driving cars/trucks/tractors no electric power tools, but they will run a chansaw if they absolutely have to. Otherwise the "English" guy that drove them to the job site does that.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

The only thing that bothers me about the Amish is if you have a job to be done and they take the day off for a"frolic". First time I heard about that I was POed until I found out that a frolic for the Amish is everyone getting together to do some project. Raise a barn, put up hay, etc.
The Amish around here must be more strict then some other areas. No driving cars/trucks/tractors no electric power tools, but they will run a chansaw if they absolutely have to. Otherwise the "English" guy that drove them to the job site does that.

When your a genarel contractor trying to finish a job that you have someone waiting on, and they wait till the evening before to tell you they have a frolic and won't be there, it's not very good.

They can't drive or keep power tools at home, but there driver can keep the tools and the Amish guys buy them, they can use them on jobs but not on there own property. They can also pay for a driver or neighbor to get them a cell phone that they can't have at there house, but use other times and places.

 

[TexasBred]

Nope, not true, atleast not here. We have over 20 different amish guys that work for us, out of those we have 4 or 5 every day depending in who wants to work that day. Been around them for years and know them well. They do not pay income tax and they don't pay real estate tax because there's a rotation they go through each week of who's house they have church in, so it makes there house 's all churches.

They are not bad people, but they are not quite as honest and as holy as many think they are. They will try to make jobs last longer to make more money and sit around on jobs or leave early when they think you won't find out. Nothing that doesn't happen with non Amish employees, but it's not like the Amish won't cheat a person.

As for the 10 year old driving, I don't have much of a opinion, as far as i know any 10 year old can ride a horse or bicycle up the side of the road. I guess the issues that come about from that are the parents problem.

Guess like some others they've learned how to scam the system as well, but by law they are subject to sales tax, property tax and federal income tax.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

I've got mixed feelings on the Amish, and there isn't enough room on this page to type them all the good or the bad. Therefore I'm not gonna defend them or support them.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I've got mixed feelings on the Amish, and there isn't enough room on this page to type them all the good or the bad. Therefore I'm not gonna defend them or support them.

I thought about going that way for the first 2 pages. I know alot of Amish very well, so I do know a good deal about them, good and bad.

 

[tom4018]

I've got mixed feelings on the Amish, and there isn't enough room on this page to type them all the good or the bad. Therefore I'm not gonna defend them or support them.

Kinda like everyone one else in this world, good and bad in all.

 

[rogergreaves]

Would it make any difference if the kid was out at the mailbox when hit? He'd still be on the road and still be dead. Seems to me his position behind the controls is irrelevant if he was not at fault. I assume his parents are in the best position to judge his maturity level and judged him to be mature enough to drive his siblings to school on a buggy. All you folks who say not, did not know him. When I was 10, I was gone all day, most Saturdays on my horse. Gone as in 5 or more miles from home in fairly rough country, usually with a .22 rifle in the scabbard. Just me and Trick and the great outdoors.

Far as I know, horses operate more or less the same. You can still buy a Marlin mod 06 (or 60 I can never remember.) Sometimes you can still find ammo for one, though, not by the pound at the hardware. Kids are equipped more or less the same. At least an Amish kid would be pretty much the same level I was on 42 years ago. Modern kid probably couldn't get the horse started. The only thing that changed is the attitude of car drivers. Don't YOU slow way down when near a horse? I was taught to NEVER go blasting by a horse for fear you'd spook it and get the rider injured.

The problem in 99.4% of car vs. horse or buggy is the driver of the car. If the road is not safe for buggies, why isn't there a buggy lane? There's a bike lane everywhere I look now. Far as I know bikes don't pay any road use taxes however they have all sort of lanes just for them. Make a buggy lane. I doubt the Amish would complain.