In the United States, one out of nine jobs depends on travel and tourism. We have private carriage tours and horse and buggy rides around the lovely city of Charleston. Not every city is as fortunate as ours, but they get by just fine.
Colon, Michigan is a relatively small area and the taxi options are limited. In a time when opening an app for Uber or Lyft is commonplace in larger areas, Colon is left without such conveniences. That is until one day, Amish man Timothy Hochstedler thought to solve the problem himself by providing Amish Uber. Completely unaffiliated with Uber, Hochstedler is providing horse and buggy rides for people trying to get from point A to point B.
With a $5 flat rate, you can get around Colon, Michigan via drawn carriage. Of course, as the Amish are forbidden technological devices, his advertising must be stumbled upon in person.
“I don’t think there’s Uber down here, so it’s pretty cool. It gives people that option that can’t drive or don’t want to drive or shouldn’t drive,” said a regular Amish Uber passenger.
Most people who take the horse hailing service around Colon aren’t from the area, utilizing Amish Uber as private carriage tours of little Colon, Michigan. Hochstedler certainly doesn’t seem to mind. He’s happy taking people, local or visiting, to where they’d like to go, all the while giving them a taste of something different.
“It was fascinating. It’s not an activity you typically associate with the Amish,” said a visiting rider who toured with his grandchildren.
We’re left to wonder if it was Hochstedler who even made the first Uber reference to his horse and buggy service or if the locals coined that one. Either way, it’s a unique and interesting solution to a transportation shortage with some cultural experience attached.
We aren’t affiliated with Uber and Charleston has Uber, but if you’re trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of ridesharing apps, our private carriage tours are the perfect means of transportation. Add a little history, scenery, and horses, and moving from place to place will have a little extra magic for you while you visit.
