The Amish win a round.

[powderman]

Senate unanimously approves Amish buggy provision  Senate unanimously approves Amish buggy provision   by Associated Press WHAS11.com Posted on February 7, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Updated today at 5:18 PM        Related:

• Amish appeal safety lights conviction in KYadd to reading list
• Amish residents argue against using “slow moving” sign on buggies add to reading list

    FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Amish men from across Kentucky arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday to watch the Senate approve a bill that would allow them to use reflective tape on their horse-drawn buggies rather than bright orange triangular signs that some object to on religious grounds.
   The measure passed 38-0 for the measure that now goes to the House for consideration.
   Republican Sen. Ken Winters of Murray sponsored the bill that allows the drab Amish buggies to be outlined with gray or silver reflective tape that makes them shine brilliantly in the dark when they reflect car lights. Winters said tests have proven that the reflective tape makes the buggies visible up to 1,000 feet away.
   ------
   The bill is SB 75.

[mechanic]

Excellent.  Should never have been an issue in the first place.
 
Ben

[Gary G]

The Amish mind their own business and don't bother anyone. Yet the government constantly wants to meddle in their lives. (Signs on buggies to selling milk and what ever else they can think up)


Come to think about it, government has always wanted to run other peoples lives. There is something sick about that.

[Casull]

The Amish mind their own business and don't bother anyone.

 
 
I bet you wouldn't feel the same way if you hit an unlighted, black buggy on a moonless night out in the country.

[KIMBER45]

The Amish mind their own business and don't bother anyone.

 
 
I bet you wouldn't feel the same way if you hit an unlighted, black buggy on a moonless night out in the country.

Yep- just had that happen here. 4 people injured.

[bilmac]

So both sides gave a little and everybody happy, that's the way govt is supposed to act, not like dictators.

[powderman]

This has been a big thing here and I don't really understand their objections to the safety triangles from a Biblical standpoint. We've seen lots of buggies in the daytime but I've never come accross one at night. All of the car, truck, vs buggy that I've seen have been in broad daylight. I've seen several buggies with marker lights on the back, all I've seen here have the orange  reflector. DRiving too fast and being distracted cause most of ALL wrecks, not just with buggies. I'm glad this has been resolved. I see the reflective tape on our school buses and it really shows up more so than reflective orange triangles do. POWDERMAN. 

[bilmac]

My guess is that some Amish are a little more uptight about bright colors than others.

[Singleshotsam]

The Amish mind their own business and don't bother anyone.

 
 
I bet you wouldn't feel the same way if you hit an unlighted, black buggy on a moonless night out in the country.

My sentiments exactly.  If the Amish want to use public highways then they need to abide by the same laws as other Americans do.  It's not like bits of reflective tape are going to kill their way of life.

[turk762]

Apparently some here don't live in amish country. They pick amish men, women, and children up like road kill in this area.
 
We live in rolling hills area here and you can't always see over the hills, around the corners, ect. Those black buggies are hard to see until you are right on top of them. I don't like the thought of having a law forcing them to have it, but I have not seen or heard a better alternative.
 
And yes they are out at night, often.
 
 

[KIMBER45]

Apparently some here don't live in amish country. They pick amish men, women, and children up like road kill in this area.
 
We live in rolling hills area here and you can't always see over the hills, around the corners, ect. Those black buggies are hard to see until you are right on top of them. I don't like the thought of having a law forcing them to have it, but I have not seen or heard a better alternative.
 
And yes they are out at night, often.

Another problem with the buggies is they move so slowly that when you are driving over a hill, they are hard to avoid. Like having a vehicle stopped just over the crest of a hill. As far as passing laws- there are laws to wear seatbelts, put children in safety seats and in some places against texting. So I see no problem in making them have the safety triangle. Another scenario- you are going home with your family and a vehicle swerves to avoid a dark buggy just over the crest of a hill. It swerves into your oncoming vehicle and kills your family. It has happend in  my area more than once.

[SHOOTALL]

Amish live in America , we live under laws . When one group or another decide they don't have to follow laws things get out of hand. I don't care for the safety tri on my New Holland ,clashes with the blue but I use it for safety . The Armish claiming to serve God should be glad to do things that help other people like keeping from having accidents and killing them. They are as political as anyone !

[Duke0313]

How often do you come across an Amish buggy after dark? Those folks go to bed pretty darn early, don't they?

[Empty Quiver]

How often do you come across an Amish buggy after dark? Those folks go to bed pretty darn early, don't they?

I will relate one of the damnedest things I've run across. Rolling through Ia. at about 0030 one morning, rolling country side. I could barely see what looked like a cowboy bobbing up and down, then would crest a hill and he was gone. Next thing I know I come past an Amish fella ROLLER BLADING down the State Highway.   Now of all the things you are prepared to see at 0030 a roller blading Amish ain't one of them.


As far as visibility goes, it's their funeral, but I really don't want to be part of the preparations for the event. Thats a bunch of guilt to lay on someone because you don't believe in splashy color.

[SHOOTALL]

How often do you come across an Amish buggy after dark? Those folks go to bed pretty darn early, don't they?

Maybe better to say how many do you come across before sun up ? They get up early ! 

[Cuts Crooked]

Amish live in America , we live under laws . When one group or another decide they don't have to follow laws things get out of hand. I don't care for the safety tri on my New Holland ,clashes with the blue but I use it for safety . The Armish claiming to serve God should be glad to do things that help other people like keeping from having accidents and killing them. They are as political as anyone !

Darned right!!!!! And the Catholic Church should provide abortion and contraceptive coverage for their employees too, as well as providing abortions at their hospitals! After all.....we live under laws!

[SHOOTALL]

Amish live in America , we live under laws . When one group or another decide they don't have to follow laws things get out of hand. I don't care for the safety tri on my New Holland ,clashes with the blue but I use it for safety . The Armish claiming to serve God should be glad to do things that help other people like keeping from having accidents and killing them. They are as political as anyone !

Darned right!!!!! And the Catholic Church should provide abortion and contraceptive coverage for their employees too, as well as providing abortions at their hospitals! After all.....we live under laws!

Good point WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHO WE ALLOW TO MAKE THOSE LAWS ! But still we need to obey them until changed .
 
The sign on the slow moving vehicle is like the orange hat while hunting. Before we had it most hunters took the time to look and be careful of where their shot would go. Same before the three corner orange reflector most driver paid more attention when coming up on other vehicles. Now days some don't see an orange hat they shoot. They don't see a SMVS they fly even though there could be a vehicle stopped over a rise or around a curve.

[turk762]

Amish live in America , we live under laws . When one group or another decide they don't have to follow laws things get out of hand. I don't care for the safety tri on my New Holland ,clashes with the blue but I use it for safety . The Armish claiming to serve God should be glad to do things that help other people like keeping from having accidents and killing them. They are as political as anyone !

Darned right!!!!! And the Catholic Church should provide abortion and contraceptive coverage for their employees too, as well as providing abortions at their hospitals! After all.....we live under laws!

Then there is this way of looking at it, and I do agree to a certain degree it is against they're religious rights to a certain degree, but people are getting sick of scrapping them off the road.
 
 What else could be done? Ban them from the roadways? Make roads just for them? a orange triangle  seems the lesser of all the evils.
 
 I do have empathy for the amish, I understand the frustration.

[turk762]

How often do you come across an Amish buggy after dark? Those folks go to bed pretty darn early, don't they?

 
Actually, I see it often, I have never stopped and asked why they are out after dark, But I have seen them in town at grocery stores at dusk (maybe running late?) at barn dances at a amish farm, (kind of neat driving by a farm with 50 to 80 buggies parked), the boys are free to go and do things after the work day is done (and these boys have been known to DRINK) I have a few stories about some I know personal (rolling a buggie, doing donuts. passing out in dads buggy, horse takes them home and horse goes into the barn but buggy dont fit, rip the top off the buggies lol)
 
So the answer is yea they do drive after dark. In WI thet need battery lights on buggy after dark.

[Dixiejack]

LMAO.  Cuts, you could not have said it better.  This is the most entertaining thread I have ever read on GBO.  It has made my day.  One thing I don't believe has been mentioned is you can't see the reflective tape or triangles on buggies or tractors until you top the hill.  Maybe we should try to understand "those" Amish people way of life and be more tolerant.  Maybe the new law should be extended to include "those" Amish midnight rollerbladers to wearing reflective tape. 

[SHOOTALL]

next year maybe flags on 12 ft poles attached to the buggie .................

[powderman]

Darned right!!!!! And the Catholic Church should provide abortion and contraceptive coverage for their employees too, as well as providing abortions at their hospitals! After all.....we live under laws!

 
CUTS. I am assuming that was sarcasm because I don't agree with that at all. POWDERMAN. 

[Singleshotsam]

Maybe we should try to understand "those" Amish people way of life and be more tolerant.

If the Amish choose to live a primitive lifestyle then yay for them.  I'm just tired of a minority of people thinking that they are above the law for whatever kook reasons.  As part of the majority I think if they want to use public highways at night they need to have a reflective triangle and tape as well as a battery powered strobe of some sort.  Not for their safety but for mine.

[pastorp]

As American citizens we are guanarteed the right to our beliefs in God. Our forefathers died to protect those rights. Our govertments meddle enough in our rights as it is.  Just let the Amish live & believe in God the way they want to.

If we were talking about gun controll you guys would be singing a different tune... 

JMO Regards,

[Casull]

Just let the Amish live & believe in God the way they want to.

 
 
And, as long as it doesn't put others in danger, they are free to do so.

[dukkillr]

As American citizens we are guanarteed the right to our beliefs in God. Our forefathers died to protect those rights. Our govertments meddle enough in our rights as it is.  Just let the Amish live & believe in God the way they want to.

If we were talking about gun controll you guys would be singing a different tune... 

JMO Regards,

The difference is that you don't have a right to use the roads.  Driving is a privilege, and one that requires some responsibility as well.  Casull is right, they need to use basic safety measures, or build their own buggy roads.  Seems to me that roads are paid for with a tax on gas anyway...

[Dixiejack]

Now here is a cool Amish buggy


http://amishamerica.com/hot-rod-buggy/


There is a lot of information in the Amish Newspaper.  A very good read for the un-informed (including me).

[Dixiejack]

powderman, I not trying to hijack your thread.  Just thought I share what I found.

[powderman]

powderman, I not trying to hijack your thread.  Just thought I share what I found.

 
DIXIEJACK. Thanks for the link. I haven't seen any of those around here yet. POWDERMAN. 

[cheapsandwich]

  "But think of the children"