Even Without Autos, Amish Are on a Roll

INTERCOURSE, Pa. — The Amish eschew most modern conveniences. Cars are out. Electricity is out. But roller-blades are in.

As the Amish make their way around the rolling farmland in horse-drawn buggies, youngsters are strapping on in-line skates to play hockey or visit friends.

And adults use them for exercise.

“They are really quite a way to get around,” said an Amish man working at Esh’s Sharpening and Sales, an Amish-owned hardware store that sells in-line skates. “This is something we’re allowed to use. Instead of hitching the horse up, you just hop on your roller-blades.”