The Jamesport Amish community will continue to allow their students to ride to school in small two-wheel carts as longs as they have reflectors, flags, and “slow-moving” signs, according to Joe Gingerich, long-time church member at Jamesport. The carts are not allowed on the roads at night.
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A young girl drives a horse-drawn cart pulled by a miniature horse or pony from school. The orange triangle on the back indicates “slow-moving.”
But does that make them safe C especially in light of a tragic accident involving a vehicle and a small cart which claimed the life of a 10-year-old Mennonite boy near Wheeling?
“No, they’re not safe on the road with fast drivers,” said Mr. Gingerich. “The gravel roads are different than out on the highway. On the highway a vehicle can bounce over a hill and see something right there that is practically standing still.”
A member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol warned the Amish during an informal conversation last year, that the two-wheel carts were dangerous and that small children driving them would not know how to react in the event of an accident. The patrolman’s cautions were passed along and discussed by the Amish district church.
“We were warned to be careful, and most are,” said Mr. Gingerich. “Since the patrolman talked, we’ve weaned the number of carts down. There seemed to be quite a few at one time. Now there are a lot less.”
Not just children ride the carts to school. They are also used by adults, especially around the town of Jamesport where the roads are not quite as hilly as some of the area’s gravel roads.
The Amish community has eight schools. Mr. Gingerich lives close to Hickory Hill, which has 32 students, a few more than the average school. He said most of the children walk to Hickory Hill, but there are a few who ride the horse drawn carts.
Mr. Gingerich explained how policy among the Amish communities is decided. Each church has a bishop, two regular ministers, and a deacon. These get together and discuss policy and pass the rules to the community after a vote in the church.
The Jamesport Amish do not allow bikes.
Pedestrians and highways can be another volatile mix as many of the highways around Jamesport are two lane. Mr. Gingerich fought for wider highway shoulders for the Amish to walk along in the early nineties. He had a great deal of local support, but in the end he was told there was no money for the project.
Mr. Gingerich said the Jamesport Amish knew of the Wheeling Mennonite settlement, mostly through the local produce auction. The Jamesport Amish helped with tables and chairs for the visitation service.
“It was a very sad, sad accident,” he said.