What do you get when you cross Michelob Ultra, a horse and buggy, a huge stereo bumping out tunes, and the Amish? This story is what you get.
In just about every country in the world, driving while under the influence of strong drink is a serious offence that can result in big fines, loss of one’s driver’s license, and even a spell in the slammer, depending on the jurisdiction. And while it is unfair to tarnish certain folks with the same brush of irresponsibility, there are in fact some groups that are more likely to get behind the wheel while intoxicated; young people, for example, or students living away from home for the first time.
But there are also people who seem highly unlikely to ever drink and drive. Little old ladies, perhaps, or religious people who adhere to a strict code of ethics and conduct seem unlikely candidates for such an offence, let alone fleeing the scene to evade police officers.
Somehow, people of strict religious codes seem less prone to reckless behavior, but they are, in the end, just people after all, and are as vulnerable as anyone to the impulse to take chances. And no one, no matter who they are, how old they may be or what religion they subscribe to wants to own up to foolish and dangerous behavior.
But if anyone is an unlikely candidate for drinking and driving, it’s fair to say the Amish, a strict religious sect that keeps itself separate from the secular world in places like Pennsylvania, fits the profile. They seem on the surface to be the least likely folks on earth to get behind the wheel (or reins) after one too many glasses of liquid courage. They eschew many modern inventions and conveniences, like cars and radios and, of course, strong drink.
And yet, recently in Ohio during what should have been a routine check, police were forced to flag down a horse and buggy around 1am when they saw two Amish men visibly drinking from an open case of beer. The men were drinking from a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra and blasting music from a stereo.
The bust did not go as planned, however. When the police showed up both men leaped from the buggy and hightailed it into the nearby woods. As the horse casually kept on going down the road, the police had to choose between stopping the horse or chasing their suspects. They chose the former, for the safety of other citizens driving on the road.
Curiously, as of September 20th, no one has gone to the police station to confess or claim the horse and buggy. The boombox-blasting Amish guys pounding down Michelob Ultra vanished and seem to have gotten away with it as of the time of this writing.
Although on its face it seems odd that any Amish individuals, because of their strict religious code and separateness from the modern world, would commit such an offence, it is not all that unusual. Combine the impulsiveness of youth with the forbidden nature of alcohol and you’ve got a potentially dangerous mix. Hence, this is far from the first time Amish youth have been caught with beer or booze, and have faced consequences in their community as well as with the law.
Related Article: Rare Early Photographs of the Amish Way of Life
Not long ago, a 21 year old Amish youth confessed he had consumed a dozen brews prior to running a stop sign in Ohio. Others have been charged with drinking under age, a common infraction in the secular world but a serious breach of Amish regulations, and certainly a breach of American federal law.
At the time of this writing, no one had claimed the horse, which the police gave to a local farmer to care for while the men are at large. The sheriff told CNN he hopes they will come forward, claim their horse and buggy, and face the consequences of their actions. He is not, however, optimistic that will happen anytime soon.