(Editor’s note: I know we have carriage drivers in our audience. I’d love your response.)
I wish the horse-drawn carriages would go away. I work in the hospitality industry and the majority of our guests ask first-off how to “get on one of those carriages.” I cringe. Of course, I politely explain to them where to go to be herded onto one, but I am screaming on the inside, “WHY?” I mean, it’s really one of the most unoriginal experiences they can have and I am quick to offer other suggestions (“Oh, I know a wonderful walking tour you must take—you will get the true flavor of Charleston with this guy!”) Alas, to no avail. Off they go, down to Market Street, to be accosted by the first carriage company that spots them. I hear the parade of hoof beats throughout my day—a nice sound, mind you, but just in the wrong context.
I curse them as I try to make my way to Harris Teeter and back. “Why can’t they pull over now?” (Yes, I am a bit of a high-strung driver, but who among you has this not irritated?) Worse than my inconvenience or the tourist’s lack of imagination, though, is the potential for terrible accidents and the unfortunate treatment of animals who, given the choice, I’m certain, would rather be grazing in a nice field somewhere.
I witnessed an accident on the corner of South Battery and Meeting Street last year. A horse was spooked as it was making the turn, and wound up jack-knifing the carriage as it spilled its twenty or so riders onto the street. The horse got loose and took off down Meeting—it was really agitated now. We ran to help people out from under the weighty carriage and seat them safely on the sidewalk. It was hot that day. The riders were shaking, bleeding and some even crying, but all sweating. This was, obviously, neither the first nor the last accident, either. I fear it is just a matter of time before an equine or human loses their life.
There was an article in The Post and Courier last week concerning the inspections of all the carriage companies. The list of offenses made me sad. No matter your opinion, no one can argue that it is inhumane not to feed the animals sufficient amounts of hay or to make them stand in wet stalls that are too small for the horses to even turn around in.
Could it be time for a change in our fair city? I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to pass legislation to finally outlaw the carriages. I realize it is a highly unlikely outcome, as the horse and carriage has become a charming symbol that is, seemingly, inextricably tied to Charleston. As a community, though, it is time to admit that it is a question of responsibility. Well, at the very least, it would be hip and progressive of us to ban the antiquated tradition of carriage tours—what a great headline.
Add to the horse cariages the golf carts that also get underfoot ‘een to the carriages. Someone’s “traffic calming” opened the door to that fiasco and perhaps the besotted golf cart operators are not subject to DUI charges, as the carts don’t consititute “a motor vehicle”, thus, at most, one might hang an open container charge on them, Charleston seems to be very selective about its enforcement.
Better yet, let’s just make south of Calhoun pedestrian only. If the Broad Street prostitutes, er lawyers have an issue with that, let’s move the courthouses to North Charleston.
Other option, encourage global warming and make the area a slow to no wake zone, gondolas restricted to the Charleston Place environs.
Comment by west_rhino — July 8, 2009 @ 4:14 pm |
This horse and carriage “feature” of Charleston should stop! I have never ridden in one of those carriages, and never intend to – to make those animals labor in such heat and humidity is awful and I cannot understand how it has been allowed to continue!
Comment by Jean — July 8, 2009 @ 4:41 pm |
Give me a break. Yes the horses should be treated fairly, but the carriages are legitimate and here to stay. If you don’t like it. Move to West Ashley, or James Island.
Comment by Kwadjo — July 8, 2009 @ 5:34 pm |
What a narrow-minded, ignorant, unenlightened, fascistic viewpoint this author has.
Because she doesn’t like them, they should ‘disappear’? I hate traffic – maybe her and her car should ‘disappear’, taking all it’s pollution and noise with it?
As for ‘grazing in a nice field somewhere’, it’s obvious the author has not even a nodding acquaintance with the current crisis going on with horses across this country.
The epidemic of abandoned horses across the country is due to what is being called a “perfect storm” of a slow economy, highfeed prices, & recent national outlawing of slaughterhouses. This is a mammoth crisis – 1000s of horses being left to waste away in fields & paddocks, or surrendered to over-crowded rescues. Closing down a business where horses lead content & exceedingly reasonable existences will only ADD to this problem.
This Disney-fied thinking that all horses should be ‘grazing in fields’ makes me sick. Horses NEED to work, they need a purpose, or they would cease to exist. Not to mention that many expensive, privately-owned horses are kept in stalls for days and weeks on end, so that they don’t get injured in the ‘fields’! @@
Yes, that’s right, what a shocker – horses get injured in fields, too – and in riding accidents in the country. ALL the time. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
A well-loved, cared-for horse with a job is a lucky horse indeed.
And obviously you have never taken a carriage ride – it is one of the most charming, singular things one can do, no matter what city you are in. Especially with the right driver, if you are into a tour – if you want privacy, there is nothing more romantic.
I feel sorry for you – and anyone who has to deal with you and your ‘cringing’.
Comment by michaleenflynn — July 8, 2009 @ 9:27 pm |
As a lifelong resident (67 years) of the historic district I have watched the horse carriages go from an occasional anachronism to widespread nusiance. It would not be so bad if the drivers would pull over but now they practically refuse. Recently I had to follow one from Broad and Meeting westward on Broad and watch while the driver refused to pull over in two empty parking spaces in front of the court house only to block traffic longer while turning south at Broad and King. I hollered to a cop across the street to do something about it and he told me that the driver was ‘just doing his job’.
Compounding the problem is the city and general court system. To file an action one has to drop what he is doing and spend untold hours going to court to testify against them. But the carriage operators have learned the system by getting attorneys who know to pick West Ashley jurors who for the most part hate the historic district and refuse to convict the carriage drivers of anything.
To compound it I know of two downtown people who did exactly this 3 or 4 years ago only to lose the case and then have the carriage company attorney sue them personally for the legal fees. Talk about a stacked system! What is worse Mayor Riley is on the carriage operators side in these matters. No wonder so many of the real Charlestonians are fleeing downtown only to be replaced by rich people from off who do not live there. Talk about a dead historic district at times of the year like July and January and many other months.
Comment by PC Coker — July 8, 2009 @ 10:01 pm |
Keep the horses, send the tourist to the North 40.
Comment by john r hope — July 8, 2009 @ 10:32 pm |
A change is coming … for NYC, Rome, Charleston and who know where else. Electric cars will take the place of horse-drawn carriages, which are soooooo last century … besides being inhumane and just plain gross as the investigative report stated.
Mayor Riley better line up his ducks all in a row. If he wants to be in office for another 30 years ( please god no) he needs to start hanging out with a different crowd.
Until then – BOYCOTT CHARLESTON! go someplace where the they do not have carriage horses.
I am sorry you work in the hospitality industry but maybe you need to develop a way to suggest to tourists that they do something else. You have a golden opportunity.
Comment by Lu-lu-lu — July 8, 2009 @ 10:47 pm |
oh boy. lu-lu is reallllly hoping here. itll never happen!!!!
Comment by cindy — July 9, 2009 @ 1:12 am |
Kwadjo, what happened to your revulsion for Joe’s “Disneyfication”? Hoppin John (John Martin Taylor) eloquently recalls (as does David) recalls the legitiamately historical horse drawn carts vending “swimpees” and vegetables from John’s Island that have been purged from Charleston and made a yuppie outing on Saturday mornings on Marion Square… (almost forgot the idea was nabbed from John Wesley United Methodist in Wes’ Ashcan providing space for a few black John’s Island farmers to market their crops).
Yes the horses are another liscentious bit of Charleston and a tax, er revenue source is difficult to excise and is, perhaps South of Broad’s cross to bear for financing the sinking peninsula… soaking Daniel, James & John’s Islands and West Ashley will only go so far and yuppies cajoled into regentrification efforts on the East Side (and I expect that Starbucks is coming) need to get their feet on the ground while the displaced don’t have it spend on property taxes.
Maybe PETA would have a better chance if they joined up with the NAACP crew that got the ACC to back out of holding their baseball tourney in Myrtle Beach.
Comment by west_rhino — July 9, 2009 @ 2:46 am |
Just what I love to read about- people complaining about a precious thirty seconds shaved off of their busy schedules. What a crying shame. Isn’t it glorious that people like this are so vocal and successful at getting new laws passed all throughout our country. Let’s ban everything and make everything that annoys someone illegal. I am sure it would help the economy and could help us to fill our sadly under occupied prisons. Just as people with wine in cups on an art walk should be ticketed- so too should we ban the last vestiges of work animals living around us. I am always amazed at the incredible knowledge people like this author seem to have about equine health and what is best for horses. Both a writer and an impatient equine specialist- what a treat! Now if we could only ban frivolous articles of griping and all of the unnecessary laws that inevitably seem to follow.
Comment by Mr. Toffy — July 11, 2009 @ 6:56 pm |
Agree with Elizabeth… Let’s bring Charleston into the 21st Century by banning the carriages… they’re a disaster on the city’s streets, especially in summer, and a potentially serious accident hangs in the balance. Why not take the horses to the plantations (a suggestion from a Yankee) and work them out there!
Comment by Elaine O'Grady — July 11, 2009 @ 11:09 pm |