Amish Youth Abandon Stereo-Equipped Buggy After Being Pulled Over (UPDATE: Father Comes Forward)
This is what an Amish buggy equipped with a stereo system looks like. These are big speakers and can surely put out some noise:
It’s unclear if they were turned on when sheriff’s deputies pulled this buggy over in the Geauga County Amish community. The occupants of the carriage promptly ran off.
From wspa.com:
Just before 1 a.m., Trumbull County sheriff’s deputies said they saw two Amish men drinking alcohol while riding on the back of a horse and buggy.
The deputies said there was a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra on top of the buggy.
They pulled the buggy over at Donley and Mahan Parker Roads in North Bloomfield, Ohio.
Deputies said the people riding in it ran out into the trees while the horse continued down the road.
Some will find this story funny; the idea of an Amish buggy with a heavy-duty stereo system installed stir’s people’s imaginations for the obvious reasons.
Their parents and church probably won’t, though. These are the stories that enhance the idea of Rumspringa as a universally wild time for Amish youth, which we’ve seen Amish publicly speak out against recently.
Myths and exaggerations typically have some root in reality. Here it is fueled by public stories like this one, of buggies loaded with speakers and beer.
That said, some communities do have a stronger reputation for wild Amish youth behavior. Geauga County is one of them.
By the way, the story describes them as men. While it’s likely they are older than 18, I am assuming they are non-church-member youth or young adults given the circumstances.
The buggy was towed. Someone is caring for the horse until the owner decides to make an appearance.
Update: “Stereo Buggy” Driver’s Father Comes Forward
The person driving the abandoned stereo-equipped buggy is now known.
The story in a nutshell – a deputy in Trumbull County, Ohio pulled over an Amish buggy which was going down the road with a 12-pack of beer on its roof.
The people inside jumped out and ran off into the woods, leaving behind their horse and vehicle, inside of which was a stereo system paired with a hefty set of speakers.
This is why the story ended up going viral (though Amish youth putting sound systems of various sorts in their vehicles is hardly unheard of).
Now the buggy driver’s father has come forward to claim responsibility on behalf of his son. From wfmj.com:
An Ashtabula County man said his son was driving the liquor-filled, stereo-equipped Amish buggy that was abandoned in Mesopotamia Township when a Trumbull County Deputy pulled it over last week.
According to a sheriff’s report, a Windsor Township man told a deputy that it was his son holding the reins of the buggy a week ago early Sunday when the deputy spotted males drinking as they drove along Doneley Road.
The son, who remains unnamed, was then questioned by the deputy. He admitted to it, but is refusing to give up his friends:
After learning the name of the buggy driver from his father, the deputy questioned the son last Wednesday.
The driver told the deputy he drank between ten and 12 beers that night and ran because he did not want to get into trouble.
He admitted disregarding the deputy’s call for him to come out of the woods,
Although the buggy driver claimed that the alcohol belonged to him, he would not reveal the ages of his companions, only saying he had known them for five to seven years.
It’s unclear whether or not charges will be filed.
More fun
It sounds like fairly safe fun compared to what we English young folks did in Ohio. No particular harm done so far as this story reveals. Well, perhaps disturbing the peace if those woofers were active.
This is funny!
The first thing I thought of, also was rumspringa. I’ve heard some Amish youth can get pretty wild during this time, and that their parents hold their breath until they are safely baptized in the church. A stereo system installed in a buggy is the ultimate non-sequitur! 🙂
Trumbull Co. Or Geauga Co
The story says this is in Trumbull Co and where they were pulled over is also in Trumbull Co..
It’s a stone’s throw from Trunbull to Geauga Co, true, but I’m confused as to how Geauga Co got the rap for it.
“From wspa.com:
Just before 1 a.m., Trumbull County sheriff’s deputies said they saw two Amish men drinking alcohol while riding on the back of a horse and buggy.
The deputies said there was a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra on top of the buggy.
They pulled the buggy over at Donley and Mahan Parker Roads in North Bloomfield, Ohio.
Deputies said the people riding in it ran out into the trees while the horse continued down the road.”
That’s correct that it references Trumbull County in the article. But in several of these cases where you have a large Amish settlement, the population of the settlement will spill into neighboring counties (Holmes County or Lancaster County are two other examples, where each goes into at least 2-3 neighboring counties). There is another Trumbull County Amish community, but it is further away from where this happened, on the PA border. So I refer to it here as the “Geauga County Amish community” as that’s the common name for this settlement as a whole.
Thanks for that clarification, Eric… I’ve never heard that explanation but it makes sense in a broader sense.
I live fairly close to Geauga & Trumbull counties so to me they’re separate locations..but I understand now.
Sure thing – yea I know it can be confusing sometimes, this happens when I’m writing about other settlements (like talking about Wayne and Holmes Counties, for instance).
Geauga has become quite a big settlement, at over 120 church districts it actually goes into four different counties. It’s neat that you get to live near one of the largest communities.
These guys probably belong to either a higher order or they are non-church members. From the looks of they things probably won’t ever become church members. I’ve seen a few Amish in Lancaster county who do similar things… drink, rig their buggies, etc. It is far more prevalent in Ohio Amish though. I just have to say that some Amish church districts are too lenient with their youth.
For me it’s not about enforcing strict rules on these people, but about not enforcing decency that even many non-Amish youth have. A certain segment of the Amish young people are more “party preppy type” and than many non-Amish. It’s not a good or healthy trend. It is still a small segment of all Amish young.
I would bet that in 4 or 5-yrs from now that these two drunk Amish will appear in a TLC “reality show” or a National Geographic documentary on Amish “out of order”. They will break with the rules and decide to live an English life and they will condemn the Amish way of life.
They will try to portray themselves as victims who did everything to fit in, but were shunned and banned. In truth, their shunning will be because they were drug addicts who tried to provide drugs to other kids, or they will be alcoholics who ride around at night running from police.
Music
I’d just like to know what music they’ve been listening to!
Fast and Furious: the Ohio connection
There’s no doubt they were reveling in their individuality- and harmlessly; although if they had gotten more inebriated that might have changed things and not for the better.
I suppose this was their own buggy. I don’t think mom or dad would have liked the additions. Creative though! What’s next? Customized buggies? Perhaps buggy detail shops.