There's Something About That Bell......
Well, NOW spring is officially here. Sure we've had 70 degree temperatures here in NY, baseball started over a month ago, and the flowers are starting to bloom. Tonight it became official as I saw the ice cream man pass the house for the first time this year. There's something about that music or ringing bell that lures us from whatever we are doing.
Remember when you were a kid? The Ice Cream Man was like a living legend. You suddenly developed a bionic ear and could hear him about four miles away. Everything came to a halt when you heard that bell, baseball games, kickball games, hide and seek, you name it. As soon as that bell rang or music was heard, kids scattered in every direction to head home for money. The ice cream man is the kid's version of a crack dealer. People go ape shit for ice cream. In my house we ALWAYS had a freezer full of ice cream, yet there was something about getting it from the ice cream man that was special. Suddenly the five gallons of ice cream in the freezer at home was not good enough. The shitty stuff the ice cream man sold was suddenly better.
The ice cream man was usually an older dude. He at least wore something that said "Good Humor" on it. Now the ice cream man is like a 20-something dude in jeans and a wife beater. What the fuck is that all about? The prices are insane too. A chipwich is like $3 now.
I used to love to torment the ice cream man. The standard abuse was to yell "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" at the top of your lungs out your bedroom window when he'd pass. He would jam the breaks, not knowing where the voice came from. His truck would buck and come to a stop, where he'd sit patiently and wait for his $1.00 sale, but I'd never go out. I would test him to see how long he was willing to wait. As he started to drive away after the four minute wait.....I'd yell, "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!" again and the moron would stop and wait again until he finally caught on that we were fucking with him. Those were the days. I may actually try that again this year from my deck...just for old time's sake.
14 comments:
Dude! You were so mean to the old guy! But kids do love tormenting older folks who can't spank them, don't they. The good Humor Guy who worked Millburn/Short Hills when I was a kid would just go park in the same place at the same time on a Sunday afternoon, and let the kiddies' parents drive the family down to him.
I haven't seen one since I was a kid except for one summer about 8 years ago when an ice cream truck drove around my current neighborhood, playing his music. I really felt sorry for him, because it was pretty obvious that he was unfamiliar with my town. There really were no kids in my neighborhood then, and even now, they're still all in strollers. We have a huge contingent of retiree empty-nesters. I only see one grade school aged kid being picked up by the school bus at the end of the block each morning when I leave for work. To his credit, the ice cream man gave up trawling our neighborhood after about a week, when it becaume pretty obvious that there weren't any kids out playing in the yards.
Ahhh....the ice cream man' bell...Its just like bowl of chocolate on Cmac desk...
i think our ice cream man is a pedophile...he always comes around at, like, nine at night when it's getting dark. it's kind of creepy hearing that pop goes the weasel song as the ice cream truck crawls down the street all stephen king-ish. *shudder*
When I was a kid, the guy who drove the ice cream truck was also the local dealer! (For real!) Chocolate Eclairs weren't the only thing he was selling...lol
I just found you through Mrs. Mogul. I LOVE IT HERE! Another NYer... And one form Long Beach! I have friend out there. He's a hoot. Anyhow, I've blogrolled you so that I can keep coming back for more!
I have a blog called LAST GIRL ON EARTH: The wacky musings of a girly New York musician who is attempting to prove that you don't have to be a 19 year old anorexic model babe to be successful.
I think you just might find it kind of fun. Check it out if you get a moment.
I'll be back soon!
All the best,
Deni
AKA LAST GIRL ON EARTH
http://www.denibonet.com/blog
You were SUCH an evil child! It's just a shame you weren't in my neighborhood. We could have used someone like you.
As for THAT BELL. It is the one thing I will not miss about living at the beach. The entrance down to the sand was right near our place, so the guy would park the truck there F-O-R-E-V-E-R and just jingle jangle away.
You were such a bad boy! You must have gotten a bunch of spankings. I'm sure you liked them though! haha
We probably have the same Ice Cream Man in Long Beach huh?? I have not seen him yet, jeans and a wife beater, we have a thug cream man!
mmmmm now i want ice cream...
I used to run outside when I heard the truck music. It was usually a fat smelly Italian giving out the cones. I usually got Toasted Almond or Strawberry shortcake!
Another New Yorker!!! I found you via Last Girl on Earth!
Ah, the ice cream man. We used to hitch a ride on the Mr. Softee truck on the way home from school, until we figured out that the driver was actually "Mr. Hard-ee" and looking down our blouses when we'd be ordering ice cream...
I like a ice cream sandwhich please!
Oh, wow, the lost days of the Ice Cream Man. We never had one in our Vegas suburban neighborhood, but in the sketchy downtown area where my grandparents lived, he was all over the place. And our ICM sold sparklers and smoke bombs to the older kids (I think you had to be at least 13). I can remember running into my grandparents' house and getting all disoriented as I tried to make my way into the kitchen, since I'd been running around in the bright sunshine, and it was cave-dark in their house. I was too impatient to let my eye adjust, so I usually ended up banging my shins on the sideboard. It was so worth it for that ice cream.
Hahaha, I loved everyone's Ice Cream Man stories. You guys all rock! I think it's an experience we are all familiar with. It seems as though many of us have shady ice cream men....I've only seen an ice cream woman like twice in my whole life, what's up with that?
Thanks to the newcomers! Welcome to the Beach! :)
When I was in Atlanta recently they had this sketchy van driving around and it was supposedly the "ice cream man." I was suspicious as it was not painted did not have a window and the guy was way crazy looking, but I did see some kids buy some stuff from him and he DID have the required music, it just seemed like some guy went to the store, bought a box of ice cream sandwiches and drove around selling them out of his van...
My friend's fahter that lived across the street growing up worked at Good Humor and they had a big freezer in the garage filled with ice cream. She would have to ask but then she was able to take a whole box and give it out. Loved the chocolate eclaiars and toasted almond bars.
Remember Mr. Softee and Bungalow Bar? Even Carvel had a mobile for a short spin back then. I loved the soft chocolate ice cream with sprinkles.
One time we were in the backyard and the ice cream truck was coming down the road and my neice got so excited she yells" Rings Belling"!
To this day we still say Rings Belling to her.
One other funny I remember where I used to work the ice cream truck made it's rounds and this guy Mark that weighed about 300lbs was walking into the building at the same time he was passing buy with his bell going and this guy Joe says to him "Hey Mark is that your car alarm"? We roared. They were friends but always insulted each other.
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