Today's New Jersey section of The New York Times tells the moving story of a 13-year-old boy, Alex Rogacki, who fought town hall to get Bloomfield to allow Mister Softee trucks in the neighborhood. Bloomfield had a health ordinance allowing only pre-packaged food to be sold by mobile vendors.
But what really popped out at us was this quote from Mayor McCarthy.
He said he never noticed the absence of Mister Softee's familiar song on Bloomfield's streets. "I am one of those people who never really cared for ice cream," he said.
What? Never cared for ice cream? What else doesn't he like? Pizza? Babies? Apple pie?
Does an indifference to ice cream have anything to do with the whole Holstens-Sopranos imbroglio this spring?
Meanwhile, Good Humor operator Paul Lake, who sells ice cream in town, revealed some hardball tactics if a Mister Softee truck tries to steal business from one of his established stops.
"If I have a stop I want to protect and there's another guy there, I'll got half price on his for a whole season."
Now that Bloomfield has joined the soft serve age, Houston, TX remains the only place in the country to ban Mister Softee trucks. Hmmm, wonder if this guy cares for ice cream?
Comments (23)
McCarthy hates ice cream?
What a scoop!
Barista is getting a little too desperate for stories these days...
YAWN.
Got news for you, mobile ice cream trucks have been banned in more towns in Essex county, than not banned. 1 town allows them at softball games and other town-sponcered events, but they must park and NO annoying constant "music". Other towns allow them, likewise at town baseball games or football games, but they must be PARKED, not "cruising". I think Glen Ridge is among those that banned.
Safety and kids running into the street without looking, and 1 or 2 got hit by a car and 1 vender was selling spolied goods, kid & grandma both took ill, & they could not find the vendor to test product, so they (several towns) said, "that's enough" >OUT
Thanks Sandy.
I thought there was a "but think of the children" dimension to this. There always is.
I know that they are banned in West Caldwell, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn and Glen Ridge & Verona from cruising. Parking at a function is allowed in Maplewood & South Orange, with NO music and motor off.
Thanks again, Sandy.
Little Jimmy's Italian Ices beat the crap out of any ice cream truck.
Little Jimmy's Italian Ices?
Where (or who) is that?
They drive around in trucks, like Good Humor? Where?
Don't think I ever saw that.
Bloomfield Life did a story on this months ago. interesting that the ny times is cribbing from our local papers.
Re the Good Humor guy's quote, HUH? What is he saying? It makes no sense to me.
Please ban the trucks on Montclair too. They do nothing but create trash all over town. Kids buy the ice cream and then have no where to throw the wrapper. Guess where it goes then? Into the bushes of the people whos flowers just got trampled. If you want your kids to have ice cream, buy it for them at the store. Its better quality anyway.
Furthermore, let's make it against the law to eat ice cream for people under 21. What possible good can come of ice cream? It contains lots of fat and sugar, it gives cold headaches, and it has been shown to lead to harder desserts--according to an NIH, kids who eat ice cream are 78 percent more likely to move on to strawberry tarts and chocolate, and a whopping 48 percent develop an addiction to cheesecake.
Little Jimmy's was/is a staple of the Jersey shore.
It's been a long time since I've been down there, but they used to drive the streets of Lavallette.
Little Jimmy's was/is a staple of the Jersey shore.
It's been a long time since I've been down there, but they used to drive the streets of Lavallette.
Love the ice cream...hate the music...the ice cream truck at Brookdale Park sits there for hours blasting "The Entertainer" over its tinny speaker...so everyone watching a soccer game or at the playground has to hear it. Hey dude, we all know you're there, yourself and all of us a favor and turn the music off.
I might be showing my age or regionality, but whatever happened to them just ringing those cute little bells that hung from the top of their truck as they drove down the street?
Okay, I'm better now, thanks.
I remember those little bells, Dobre, and I remember when an ice pop, which came on two sticks, cost 15 cents. My favorite flavor was Sky Blue.
Yo, Dobre -- you any relation to Jack Ham? The original "Dobre Shunka" on the Pittsburgh Steelers...
And, Sherman, set the Way-Back Machine to 1967 in Washington Square Park where we visit one of the pedicab Good Humor men who was also a world-class marijuana dealer. Not that I ever inhaled...
Given the safety issues and noise irritation, this is yet another indication that Bloomfield is digging in its heels to remain entrenched firmly in the past.
If Bloomfield was "firmly entrenched in the past" it would be a much nicer place to live. I know. I used to live there.
And oh Conan! Sherman and the Way Back Machine! Love it. You rock!
If they're banned in Glen Ridge, it's not enforced. My neighborhood echoes with the tune of "Do Your Ears Hang Low". One time he used the theme from Swan Lake, but I guess he didn't sell any ice cream, so he switched back. The only thing worse would be "It's a Small World After All".
Thanks, shitalker.
We never went there. We kinda stayed in Belmar, Bradly Beach & Asbury Park, but this was all back in the mid to late 60s.
what the driver meant was he would undersell the other driver to get his business back. And he would- I knew Paul from back in the day and it would take a lot of tricks and big brass b---s to take his biz.
And Paul if you read this I hope you're rich you sonof a gun from poisoning all those Jersey kids. Anyway, they're probably disfunctional anyway. Take care!!!