From what I gather many Amish will use certain pieces of technology only specifically for business or in an emergency, but draw the line at actually having it in their homes. A payphone is kind of the perfect example of this, because every once in a while in modern times you will just need to use a phone. Not to chat with your aunt Sally or dial up Moviefone, but maybe you have to call a veterinarian or place an order for 2 tons of chicken feed. It just is what it is. An Amish family won't have a phone in their house, but if push comes to shove they can rock up to the payphone and use it when necessary. It is a community resource, not a personal luxury, and importantly it is not an object that any Amish people actually own.

Or you will see, for instance, that the cattle shed is lit with electric lights but the house isn't. An Amish work crew will show up to the job site in a truck, but none of them will be driving it -- they'll hire one of us English to do so. Or my favorite, they will have a gasoline engine powered thresher or something whacking away on a cart in the field, but they'll tow it with a horse. Etc. I don't claim to know all the rules, but there is clearly some rules lawyering going on there.

[–] FollyDolly@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

The loophole for my local amish is they can use it, but not own it. Which sounds great until they're clogging up the parking at the Scratch N Dent with their bosses tractor.

[–] Voyajer@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

That would make to much sense

[–] NucleusAdumbens@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Because the Amish disdain for technology is relative. Since smartphones came along, payphones seem quaint in comparison, opening them up for their technological "Amish phase." Much like how Amish have no issues using bicycles or buggies since the car came along. Give it a few years and before long you'll see Amish with CRT TVs scrambling for VCRs and NES copies of Super Mario