Ice Cream Trucks

[PollyannaMom]

What I want to know is why they all play this:

Apparently because it was public domain at the time they switched over from just ringing a bell, so they didn't have to pay royalties:

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1998/aug/20/how-did-tune-turkey-straw-become-song-ice-cream-tr/


There's "Foods That Built America" episode on ice cream that's pretty good, too, if you are interested:

https://www.history.com/shows/the-food-that-built-america/season-2/episode-11

 

[loves to dive]

I think the last ice cream truck I heard was in the mid-70s.

 

[mumto3girls]

I hadn’t given it any thought, but I don’t think I’ve seen the ice cream truck since before Covid hit. The guy was super old—my DH swears it was the same guy as when he was a kid and he was old then. Occasionally there was another truck that came around. Chuck was the original. We’d see him around 7 pm a few times a week.

ETA: we’d always let the kids get a treat and all the neighbors would line up. Our neighborhood has grown up. There’s only a few elementary school or younger kids. Most are high school or college including mine.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah they come around here. They were here in late april when the weather was nice but then it got cool (unseasonably) again. Wasn't home for nearly half of may so not certain if they were out and about when we were having really hot (unseasonably) weather here. But they do come around spring/summer

 

[msjprincess]

Yes. Mister Softee comes by every evening from Mid-September

 

[bcla]

We have one that comes around a public park often. It's pink and frankly looks rather decrepit. However, it's kind of an institution regardless of the appearance.

But speaking of ice cream, we went cherry picking this weekend and were looking forward to going to this ice cream place located in a strip mall. It's one of those places that are generally well known for being reliable and cheap. The sign used to say scoops for $1, but then $1.25, $1.50, and $1.75 when we last visited a couple of years ago. It's also a place known for having exotic flavors like ube and Thai tea. However, they didn't seem to have quite the selection of exotic flavors when we went there today, but they did have an eccelctic selection. But they're also now $2.75 for a single scoop. Still a decent price although I'd think at a certain point these budget places start losing customers the more they raise prices. I ended up getting Oregon dark cherry (the container said it was from Tillamook Creamery). Other containers said Cascade Glacier, which I found is in Eugene, Oregon. Other containers were plain plastic and I supposed used for custom creations made to order.

 

[fly girl]

Traditional ice cream truck I will see maybe 2 times in the summer. However, I see this truck regularly. And funny enough the music is Caribbean not Hawaiian. Oh well, it’s the tropical vibe - steel drums must work!

Kona Ice

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I heard one last week in our neighborhood. Occasionally we go out! Growing up we had one come to our street every afternoon. I loved getting the Buried Treasure.



Last fall we stayed at Fort Wilderness and there was an ice cream truck there. It was good, too. (PC DD)




They also had a ‘slush truck’ at the main pool. Didn’t get a pic of truck but got one of menu. Also good. And nice that they have sugar free! (PC DD) I think I got the mango.



Fun thread!

 

[Disneylover99]

We live across the street from a school/park, so we see the ice cream truck regularly.

 

[Micca]

One comes by here but we never buy anything, and from what I can see neither do others on my block buy anything from the truck.

 

[SteveH]

I wouldn't mind if they didn't feel to blast a bunch of noise pollution while they drive around and around and around and around.

 

[aprilgail]

From April-Oct we have ice cream trucks that come around- probably 3-4 different ones at different times of the day. My daughter and I used to run out and get the one that used to come between 9-10pm, by that time we were ready for a snack when she was younger.

 

[bcla]

With the trucks themselves, there's this pink one in my area that I would think would cost $500 used, including the refrigerator. And the music it was playing sounded like electronic tones coming out of a greeting card.

The fanciest I've seen was a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with an electronic sign on top. Kind of overkill for selling ice cream I'd think, but it was really just a commercial van.

 

[MillauFr]

How can anyone make much money selling ice cream bars for $5 a piece? I think you could do better driving for Uber and Lyft.

 

[soccerdad72]

We have one around the neighborhood most nights in the summer, it seems. It's been a while since we bought anything from it.