I have been driving the Amish now for over three years, during which time I have learned a lot about the Amish people, their customs and culture. While many Amish do not allow pictures to be taken of themselves, my camera is my constant companion and I find many interesting things to photograph. I love sharing my stories about driving the Amish. If you are kind enough to read them, please keep in mind that the Amish are diverse among themselves. What is true in one Amish district, may not be true among all.
I hope you enjoy reading this blog. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I promise to stay true to the events and happenings as I see them, and to stories that the Amish tell me. The Amish are very private people. I will not reveal the actual names of people, "names have been changed to protect the innocent" (channeling an old saying from the television series "Dragnet").
So how did you start doing this? I know they don't drive, but they don't have a problem riding in cars? I think it's a neat opportunity to view a bit closer, their lives...
ReplyDeleteMy dad starting driving Amish first. He bought a bus (then several buses) and started hauling large groups to horse auctions and machine auctions, long trips, etc. I started driving to help him out. Eventually, he told me about an Amish man who needed someone to drive him to work every day. I took up that assignment.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, the Old Order Amish don't drive cars. They have horses and buggies and use them for local travel. Hiring car-drivers is just more practical on longer trips. The Old Order don't generally have telephones either. But, there is a phone shanty (think phone booth of wood construction) for each area where there is a concentration of Amish. They go there to make calls and retrieve voice mails. Some of the higher level Amish have cell phones and cars.