Annoying Ice Cream Truck.

Updated on August 15, 2014
M.C. asks from Louisville, KY
25 answers

Ugh. I'm not sure what this guy's marketing strategy is, but it sucks.

All summer long, he never once drove past the house.

Now that school has started, every night at 8:00 he creeps by with his music blaring. My DD's bedtime is 7:00, and it has waken her up without fail every night for the last week and a half. I get that this isn't his problem... But I wanted to vent a bit.

Seriously... 8:00 on a school night to drive around selling ice cream... In a neighborhood that only has a handful of kids. (It's mostly retirees... And judging from the sound of the progression of his music, he never gets any customers from our area.)

I'm half tempted to go out one day and ask him to turn down his music when driving through the area. Technically, he is allowed to play it because our noise ordinance doesn't kick in until 10pm... But I do know at he is also annoying my elderly neighbor across the street (who is struggling to overcome a nasty case of melanoma, recently broke his arm, and is mourning the loss of his wife...) as well as my next-door neighbors (who works strange hours, and usually goes to bed at 5:00 to be up in time for her shift...)

Anyway, rant over. The question: would you buy your kids ice cream at 8:00 on a school night?

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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

I only saw one ice cream truck one time this summer. The music was down so low that he was just about out of sight before I noticed. It was about 7:15pm. I remember the time because one kid was home and the other was about to come home from karate.

At this time of year, my kids (and the other neighborhood kids) are sometimes still playing outside at 8pm so I could see them wanting an ice cream truck treat. My problem is forking over $4+ for one! Yikes.

School hasn't started here yet. When it does, bedtime is 9-9:30, so hearing the truck at 8pm wouldn't be a bother.

4 moms found this helpful
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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

Yeah--apparently a prerequisite for being The Ice Cream Man is an innate willingness to be highly obnoxious!

3 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

8 is not late, most people, even most kids, are still up at 8. That said, if he is really that annoying then no one will buy his ice-cream and he will move on on his own to someplace/time he is actually making money.

3 moms found this helpful

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

A success story to encourage you. My son drove an ice cream truck to pay college expenses. He drove the neighborhoods his boss instructed him to. One night a very irritated Dad came out to blast him for disturbing his kids' evening. My son understood. When little, our kids had a very early bedtime. So he asked the Dad what would be the last good time he could cruise that neighborhood, they agreed on a time, and before the end of the summer, that Dad was so grateful that he became my son's best tipper. (By the way, I had no idea tips were even given to ice cream truck drivers until my own son drove one!)

So my point of view is, absolutely go talk to the driver. It could be a very successful end to irritating evenings. All my best.

12 moms found this helpful
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K.F.

answers from Salinas on

There were times I bought my kids a treat on a school night after 8pm. Not sure how old your girl is but there are lots of ice cream loving children who are awake at 8pm.

If you have a really young child I can imagine this is annoying but it's a very temporary problem. It'll be dark at 8pm soon, problem solved!

5 moms found this helpful

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Wow. Some seriously asinine judgements being made in the posts below about people trying to earn a living.

I agree with R.K. Go out and chat with the driver. Buy an ice cream bar and be friendly. I'll bet they are understanding and will drive by at a better time.

5 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I am going to go out on a limb not knowing the ice cream truck market. I am guessing that you are not the only parent saying this is a school night so with not so many stops he could increase his area hoping to make up the loss.

I would actually buy my kids ice cream but then I figure you are only young once. Eventually they will have kids and hate that truck.

4 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Sure, we don't get them in bed until 9 and they're playing outside at 8, it's still daylight. They get up at 7. 9pm-7am is enough sleep for most any school kid.

4 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

Our ice cream truck comes by every Saturday afternoon at 5:30pm, just as we are about to sit down to supper! I end up with "Turkey in the Straw" playing in my head for the next few hours. I would be much more likely to buy ice cream at 8:00pm because that is closer to when we are having dessert. To me 8:00pm is pretty early for anyone to be in bed.

4 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

7 is so early! no, i wouldn't get a kid UP to buy 'em ice cream, and probably wouldn't do anything that late on a school night anyway. but it's still summer here, and beautifully twilit around 8. we'd never get an ice cream truck this far out, but if we did, i'd buy some!
there are no neighborhoods they can drive through at ANY time of day where they won't be annoying someone. they have no way of knowing your daughter's early bedtime, or your neighbor's melanoma, and even if they did, they're trying to make a living.
khairete
S.

4 moms found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

I might buy some once in awhile.. I gather that once it begins getting dark sooner, maybe he won't be out there so late? if not, this is a case where you ll just have to deal with it.. My bedroom faces the front of the house, which means OFTEN people are walking by and late at night.. It also means I can hear people come and go in their cars.. While I awaken easy, my son and husband aren't bothered by it.. What helps me is that I have one of those white noise wave machines.. it really drowns out a lot of the noise.. maybe you can get your daughter one of those.. if you try and fight it, you ll just get more and more frustrated.. get the wave machine.. I couldn't imagine NOT having it... love love love it !!

4 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I would definately flag him down and have a friendly conversation with him. Otherwise, how is he to know he's disturbing so many people? Since he doesn't seem to have customers he's likely willing to change his route or turn the music off. He may be so used to the sound he doesn't think to turn it off on his way to a more profitable neighborhood.

3 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Can your daughter wear ear plugs to bed?
Or maybe you can put a white noise generator in her room so she can't hear the music so much.

3 moms found this helpful
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H.W.

answers from Portland on

No, absolutely not. We make a cone at home and go for a walk, some evenings. Ice cream is great, but the stuff off the truck is expensive!

Go out and talk to the guy. I had to do that when I worked at a daycare and the ice cream truck came around at freaking naptime. The person was nice and stopped; don't know if they turned their music off or just avoided the block. Problem solved.

3 moms found this helpful
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S.N.

answers from Chicago on

Isn't it still light out? If I were an ice cream truck driver I'd keep driving while it was light out. Does he even know (or care) that school has started?

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking him to turn down the music. I try not to buy ice cream off a truck. Too expensive. Maybe a couple times a summer.

2 moms found this helpful
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Z.B.

answers from Toledo on

White noise! We run a box fan in our room when we are sleeping, and it's amazing. It really drowns out noises around us. I bet she won't notice the music at all if you run a fan in her room.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

No. First, because ice cream trucks creep me out. Secondly, that's too late!

1 mom found this helpful

V.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

Probably not.
Honestly, ice cream trucks kinda creep me out.

E.J.

answers from Chicago on

No, I would not buy. It only encourages them to come back.

Check your town ordinances. Our town does not allow them. Some need a special permit. Just FYI

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L.M.

answers from Chicago on

Ice cream trucks are not allowed, thankfully, in my area. The village has said they can not regulate who is driving those trucks and thus creates a dangerous situation for children. I totally agree. Imagine if it was a sex offender and here come all the children running after him - parents maybe watching or maybe not. Then one day, one of the kids disappears.

I'd call your town and ask them about the truck and it's annoyance in your neighborhood. If you and your neighbors each call, then the town may listen.

No, I would not buy ice cream from any truck, no matter what time.

T.M.

answers from Modesto on

Probably selling drugs and not ice cream most likely.

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L.M.

answers from Boise on

Hell to the no! Tell the driver to his/her face to not come by that late. If you're in an HOA, bring it up there. If not, print up a notice stating your grievances and have your neighborhood sign it and give it to the driver of the ice cream truck.

The driver here plays music that's definitely Christmas music. However, he goes through so fast that the kids can't flag him down... still, it's funny to hear music for "Frosty the Snow Man" pipe through in August! hahaha

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

nope..... they would have been in bed already!

And... they sure don't need sugar right before bed!

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

No. And can't you complain anonymously somewhere to his company?

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Honestly, ice cream trucks are so gross anymore. I have only let my kids get ice cream a handful of times from them, and they also think they are gross. The people driving them are TYPICALLY dirty and smell, why do I want that person touching my food? Even if it's just a wrapper. And the trucks are always falling apart - at least in my area. So sorry to be judgemental of them, but we really don't prefer them at all.

My kids ignore the music now and eventually the ice cream truck stops coming down our road. He tries every summer 2 or 3 times, but when he passes with no kids even looking up at him, he doesn't waste his gas or time.

When it's in the afternoon and the truck comes by, I have no problem taking them to a local shop for a treat.

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