No

by M. L. Kiser

Created on: January 26, 2008   Last Updated: April 15, 2011

No, horse drawn carriages should by no means be banned from US cities, especially when we have people in America who think Congestion Pricing is a solution to our pollution and traffic problems, e.g., using a device on your car to charge you a fee every time you pass a certain area, so that you end up with another monthly bill payment to add to your already shrinking budget. Considering this, I would think that horse drawn carriages would be a welcome sight in every city and town.

Personally, I find that they have a wonderful appeal; but, I love horses. They are beautiful, attractive beings and there's something wonderful about riding in a horse drawn carriage that is like no other experience. The carriages, themselves, are beautiful and watching one go down the street is a very relaxing way to de-stress; as is riding in one.

You can see much more of a city from a carriage than you can from an automobile or cab. You don't have to be frustrated trying to see around the huge SUV or truck that is in front of you. Carriages are tall enough to see over a great deal of traffic. You're not polluting the planet with carbon emissions. A carriage can get you around a traffic jam so that you arrive at your destination on time. They can cut down alleys, through parks and side roads that normal traffic cannot. It's just a marvelous way to see the sights in any city.

Of course, I adore animals, especially horses, so the horse drawn carriage is definitely a choice that I prefer. Add to that the fact that I am somewhat of an environmentalist who understands the value of less carbon emissions, in the air that I breathe; I'd gladly take the horse drawn carriage rather than a cab anytime I can afford it.

Let’s face the facts; the government keeps baby-bickering, leaving the important issues to sit in stacks of paperwork.  Instead of looking for alternative power sources and creating emission legislation for auto manufacturers, they prefer to act like children.  People who have horses and carriages should be allowed to use them, with some restrictions, of course.

Why not set standards and inspect the owners of these horses and carriages, so that the animals are treated humanely?  Sweeping up streets and cleaning up horsey-poo would put more people to work, creating jobs and boosting the economy.  It’s an all-around “green” solution.

Those who argue that it’s dangers for both horses and people should consider the fact that just stepping out of your home in the mornings is dangerous, too.  Our society can’t keep banning anything and everything that is dangerous; if it did, no one would ever get out of bed!

When cars hit horse drawn carriages, it’s usually because the driver of the car is trying to avoid hitting something or because they are impatient people in a big hurry and their ego tells them to find a way past or around the horse and carriage.  Ego=disaster!

Horse drawn carriages are no more dangerous than cars or flying in a plane.  We all take our lives in our own hands, every single day.

For some people, especially the Amish, horses and horse drawn carriages are their only transportation; are we going to discriminate against them and insist that their way of life and their religious beliefs and practices should be banned from our society?  Be realistic, they pay taxes to maintain the roads, too.

There's a certain aesthetic attraction to the horse drawn carriage. And considering the ugliness of most cities with their towering gray buildings and the stench of the factories, decaying food in trash bins and congested traffic; we certainly need all of the aesthetics that we can get, today.

I was thrilled to see the horse drawn carriages in my own town; if for nothing more than just to observe how my ancestors got around. We should all be so lucky as to experience things similar to what our ancestors experienced. It gives us a sense of reality, of belonging. it feeds our spiritual needs in many ways. Believe me, it's more than a healthy experience. It's a real thrill.

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