Amish Etiquette?

I once spoke to someone who gave Amish rides. He noted they work hard and don't bathe on a regular basis. Thus, sometimes they can smell a bit 'ripe'.

You may want to set $ limits from the start. For example, you are going to a cell phone and instead of dropping your landline you have it expended to an outbuilding. $.25 for a local call, $X per minute for out of local area. So much per mile round trip for a ride if you were going anyway. $X x Y for a special trip (e.g., taking them to a doctor visit).

I lived in an Amish community and worked with them for many years..these would be Old Order Amish..

As a group, they are accustomed to "doing for others"..and they don't say "No"..so naturally, they make the mistake of assuming that an "English" neighbor or friend feels the same way..offer to let them use the phone and they will truly think that the offer is unlimited..why? Because that's how THEY would do it..

Offer to drive them and they think that you mean all the time..why? Because they would.

They help one another out unceasingly..without question. It's difficult for them to imagine that few people would also think this way.

To get around this , tell them when the conversation arises that "IF I'm already going into town, I wouldn't mind folks tagging along to the store, yet my car won't take too many trips without developing problems."

The phone? If you're asked..tell them that it's fine with you if they need an ambulance, or to contact others if a death has occurred..if you don't do this, understand where they're coming from and you'll be asked daily

Why do Amish smell as if they haven't bathed? They do bathe..and just as often as most folks do..what they DON'T do is to use antiperspirants..they think that's like using "scents"..perfume, cologne, etc. in their opinion, if a person works all day in the field, what would you expect that they smell like?

I'd be thrilled to have Old Order Amish again as neighbors..sure..bring a cake over and introduce yourself..why not? Just like you, they'll be happy to meet friendly neighbors..

How about a nice factory? Lots of Amish herestart factories and work them a LOT of hours. Nothing as nice as the whine of machinery and stink of chemicals on a summers night as long as it comes from the Amish right?
Might wanna scale back your expectations a bit here.
You also might wanna think about the Amish custom of living with lots of generations togather. It can make a trailer park look pretty attractive.
Sorry but Amish are just folks.Be nice treat them as just folks and things will be fine. Like some of the folks said their differences mean that some of the things that would be a minor courtasy between most folks are a huge thing to them ,think about the ramifications.
For me it would be a great time to go into the hauling business theeed both people any will nd things hauled.

I always like discussions about the Amish. Heaven must be full of them as they all are perceived as saints on earth.

This raises a question, since there's Amish this and Amish that and it's all supposed to be so good just because it's Amish, are there any Amish trailer parks?

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

We are surrounded by National Forest in California and have NO neighbors. Plenty of trespassers though. Most are mountain bikers who leave established trails and tear up the landscape, drop their trash on the ground and tear down NO TRESPASSING signs just because they can.

I would love to have the amish for neighbors! I am curious about them and feel a certain sense of shared heritage with them as well. My Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors (German Reformed) fled religious persecution in Europe to accept the offer of a new life offered by William Penn. My mom was the first to leave Pennsylvania, 200 years later when she married a young Naval officer from Washington State, and later I left Washington when I married a young Naval officer from California.

I have been back to Pennsylvania 3 times in my life. I loved going to to the farmers markets and interacting, buying their home baked goodies and meeting them. I have a beautiful amish quilt that I take out, enjoy and put back, because it is too good to let get ruined. I loved the tidy farms, the work ethic and the strength of conviction in their faith that has kept the amish separate.

I would welcome them and be a good neighbor!

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I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam.

Popeye

They're generally decent folks. Reminds me of the question; What goes clop clop clop clop clop clop clop......BANG.....clop clop clop clop clop clop clop ? An Amish drive-by shooting. Watch out for those.

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Dear Math, it is time you grew up and solved your own problems.

Hey.

It is traditional to bring over a home baked pie welcoming gift...no store bought carp.

RF

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It's not good enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. - Winston Churchill

LMAO!!!!! nicely said, hilariously written!

Jodi

I guess I've been around them too long but some of the Girls are just Plain Sexy. Yea Tina knows.

big rockpile

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I love being married.Its so great to find that one person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.



If I need a Shelter
If I need a Friend
I go to the Rock!

The Amish have a quite high retention rate. If varies between sects, but, from what I understand, when an Amish youth turns 16 they are considered to be an adult. They are somewhat encouraged to explore the world outside of the Amish (rumspringa?). At some point they have to decide if they will be baptized into the church or live away.

to Wind in her hair;
Ahem; good rant but ya fergot anything about those that use roadsides fer landfills.

I'm kind of glad to see someone articulate how dh and I feel about neighbors.. we are pleasant, but not in each other's business, either. Sometimes I feel guilty, like we should make more of an effort.. but we enjoy our quiet and privacy.. and it seems the neighbors do too. And there's nothing wrong with that. Thanks, RVcook!

Be a good neighbor...I've met a number of Amish folk esp. within the last four years. Haven't met one, yet who I disliked. I would be a bit on the quiet side around them though, I think they dislike people who chatter on and on(as we all do from time to time)...aside from that...just be yourself.

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"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

Amish are just like any other people, the put their pants on one leg at time. We live in an Amish community and have neighbors that we trust with our lives and others that we wouldn't trust with the offering plate.

Treat them as neighbors, don't let them take advantage of you, and prepare for an increase in land sales prices as they compete for land for their offspring.

Jim

We have lived near Amish in a couple parts of Wisconsin, and have Amish friends in additional communities. One thing to avoid is to bother them on Sunday. All of the Amish that I know of don't do any business on Sunday, and spend most of the day in "church", in various homes in their community. Other than that, they have been great neighbors and friends--wish some were closer now, as we have done group purchases with them in the past, such as when they hire a truck to go to Michigan to get fresh picked peaches, much better quality and lots cheaper than anything in the local stores. Not too far from hear are a number of Amish growing certified organic vegetables and herbs that they market through a grower's coop, and yet other groups who run pallet factories and sawmills powered by diesel engines and use chemical farming techniques. A lot depends on their local bishop who makes a lot of the decisions on what they can and cannot do, as far as I can tell.

"For what its worth, anyone who uses the roadside as a landfill is contemptible (in my opinion) and that distinction is not reserved for/ nor limited to any one group or religious affiliation."

I am on a country road which has a county convenience/drop-off center on it. It isn't open 24/7/365. Seems like folks who go and find it closed, such as Wednesday afternoons, don't want to come back again so drop their load off the side of the road. I've called the country sheriff's office a couple of times to bring it to the attention of the supervisor of their grant-funded inmate roadside pick up crew. From what I've heard if it is personal trash (e.g., mail in it) they call the people and require them to come to the jail to pick it up again. Otherwise they will be charge with littering.

What we get mostly is beer bottles and cans (less plastic soda/water bottles and disposable diapers). And the State of TN somewhat brought it on themselves. At one time only the driver couldn't have an open alcohol container (pass the bottle to your rider thing). They enacted a law any (fresh) open container in the vehicle wasn't permitted. Thus, became easier to disperse of empties out the window.

I've read about half of roadside trash comes out of the back of open pickup beds.

There is an interesting documentary called The Devil's Playground...shows how amish youth have to make some very difficult decisions and face a lot of pressure - very interesting view and worth watching. One scene is a "rave" going on in someone's barn, and all the kids show up driving their buggies. Classic.

I think the most beautiful girl I ever saw was an Amish girl...

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"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

to Wind In Her Hair;
I figured you had your tongue firmly in your cheek in your 'rant' but I will be the first to admit that I was getting off the topic. On topic though, in what dealings I've had with the Amish, I agree with what has been said in the responses to the OP. But mostly, they seem to want to be left alone. I feel the same way most of the time, too.

I think just going over to meet them would be fine. We live next to Amish & they are so nice. Great sense of humor. very giving. I guess it might depend on where you live. Our Amish are of the strictest order. But people are people. They are both good & bad everywhere.