In This Michigan Small Town, You Can Hail an ‘Amish Uber’
Timothy Hochstedler, of Colon, Michigan, is redefining the frontier of ride-sharing with what is being hailed as the "Amish Uber."
With a population of approximately 1,200 people, ride-sharing apps aren't really practical in the "magic capital of the world." (Colon, as it happens, is famous for manufacturing equipment for magicians.) As a result, Uber and similar services are not offered within the city limits.
Now, however, if you're traveling in St. Joseph's county, you may be able to hitch a ride with Hochstedler and his horse and buggy. Of course, you'll have to take the slow — albeit more scenic — route.
A video featuring Hochstedler behind the reins shows him and his Morgan horse trotting down the street, greeting locals as they make their way through the small town. Hochstedler isn't the only one spreading the love. When talking about his partner-in-crime, Hochstedler said, "A Morgan is a people's horse. They [love giving] you a kiss."
According to WWMT-TV, Hochstedler will take you "right to [your] doorstep" for just $5 on weekends.
While Hochstedler may consider his services akin to Uber, you can't actually use an app to secure your ride on the horse and buggy. Instead, those looking for Hochstedler's services must flag him down somewhere within the 1.73 square miles of Colon.
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Hochstedler has no actual affiliation with Uber, despite the eerily-familiar small talk that often unfolds between ride-share drivers and their passengers. And instead of the iconic Uber sticker stuck to the front of a car windshield, Hochstedler has a piece of paper taped to the side of the cart reading "Amish Horse & Buggy Rides."
While "Amish Uber" may be the only horse and buggy ride sharing option, it's hardly the first Uber spin-off to surface. Uber has actually spawned several versions of itself across the world, including UberBOAT in Croatia and Turkey, and even UberWINE and UberWINEXL in Santa Barbra.