One-Man ‘Amish Uber’ Serving Colon, Michigan

Timothy Hochstedler, an Amish man in Michigan, is giving modern ride services in St. Joseph County a touch of 1693.

Cheekily calling it “Amish Uber,” Hochstedler is clip-clopping around Colon offering five-dollar rides to its commuters. So far, it seems to be a hit with locals. “I don’t think there’s Uber down here, so it’s pretty cool. It gives people that option that can’t drive or don’t want to drive or shouldn’t drive,” said customer Becky Phelps.

“Uber is a cool thing, every single year something new comes in and Uber is hot right now, so we have the Amish Uber. We can deliver people to their front doorsteps,” Hochstedler said. And his horse is just as accommodating as he is. “He loves people. He’s a Morgan. A Morgan is a people’s horse. They love giving you a kiss or whatever,” he said.

Hochstedler will be operating his horse-drawn ride services all weekend in Colon during its 81st annual Abbott’s Magic Get Together, but you will have to flag him down the old-fashioned way; he does not own a cell phone.