Imagine pulling into the parking lot of your local Costco and seeing covered horse stalls with a sign that reads “Horse and Carriage Parking Only.” If you live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, this won’t be surprising—in fact, it’s to be expected—since this town’s nickname is “Dutch Country,” home to the largest Amish population in the United States.
The Amish traditionally drive horse-drawn carriages; their religion prohibits them from driving motor vehicles. However, it is also normal for Amish people to shop at stores, especially if there are things that cannot be found at a farm or local Amish store. So, of course, stores near Amish communities have parking lots with covered stalls where the horses can rest while their owners shop. If you visit Lancaster County, you may see some of your Amish neighbors parking in these designated spots, but be aware that this is not the time to ask them for their recipes or tell them what Yum Yum Salad is—for that, you’ll need to consult the Ultimate Foodie Guide to Exploring Amish Country.
Read more: All the benefits of a Costco membership
Parking and shopping at Costco for the Amish
The Amish community is typically made up of larger families with lower incomes, as they make most of their money from farming and building. For many, buying items in bulk at lower prices is the best way to minimize expenses, and that’s why they shop at Costco. While there are stores owned and operated by Amish families, they are smaller and have limited inventory, making branch locations sometimes unavoidable.
Costco tries to be mindful of its community, so it accommodates its Amish customers by providing horse buggy parking. The horse buggy parking is set apart from the regular parking spaces and includes covered, barn-like stalls where the horses can wait and be safely tied up. The stalls are also equipped with a shovel and hose, presumably to clean up any manure that is left lying around – perhaps the only downside to these premium parking spaces.
While horse-drawn carriage parking is generally accepted, some people have issues with getting horse-drawn carriages into a parking lot. One shopper on Reddit noted that the covered spaces are “closer to the front door than any handicap parking” and seemed to disagree with this change in parking priority. Others seemed more interested in members of the Amish community shopping at Costco in the first place and not being so put off by the horse-drawn carriage parking.
Amish inclusion in Lancaster and beyond
In Lancaster County, Costco isn’t the only chain store with horse and buggy parking. Locals say horse-drawn buggy parking is available throughout the county at retail stores like Target and Lowes, at local banks and at smaller grocery stores.
However, Pennsylvania is not the only place with Amish communities. The state of Ohio has the second largest Amish population in the country, and many stores have stroller-safe parking spaces. The Amish in Ohio can shop at Walmart and other major retailers and park in their designated parking spaces.
It’s worth noting that the Amish horse-drawn carriage is a traditional mode of transportation, not a tourist attraction. If you’re visiting an Amish area, you can certainly ride in the carriage and ask for their Amish-style potato salad, but you should definitely not bother your neighbors while you shop. Also, be respectful of the horses who are there to do their work and don’t let strangers pet them. Seeing an Amish horse-drawn carriage at your local Costco may be an unexpected delight, but they deserve the same respectful parking and shopping experience we have in our cars and trucks.
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
