This post was going to be about how hearing the Mr. Softee trucks for the first time in months filled my heart with joy. Yay Mr. Softee, harbinger of warm weather! Skippity-doo-dah! Puppies! Rainbows!
But while I was trying to take a picture of one of many Mr. Softee trucks in the hood (I know how you people like your visual aides), I realized that the custard puller had his body halfway out the window and was yelling something at me. I tried to filter out the blasting Mr. Softee song and focus on what he was saying.
MR. SOFTEE: Look, miss, I'm trying to be nice -- how would you like it if I broke your camera?
ME: What?
MR. SOFTEE: Stop taking a picture. Looks like you're trying to take a picture of my permit. I might think you're a snitch.
ME: I'm not taking a picture of your truck anymore, alright? I was just trying to get a picture of a Mr. Softee truck.
MR. SOFTEE: Why don't you try taking a picture up in Harlem or Washington Heights, see what happens.
ME: You know what?
I turned around and walked away, totally flummoxed. All my feelings of good will towards Mr. Softee disintegrated, only to be replaced by seething anger with the ice cream man. I was also really annoyed with myself for not having a snappier comeback than, "You know what?".
Then I thought, okay, I just got threatened by the ice cream man, who must be a criminal if he's so worried about snitches. That presumed criminal goes around selling a disgusting hybrid of shaving cream and Cool Whip that A.) is not quite frozen and B.) does not melt. Two servings of said gloop could instead buy chemical free tubs of Haagen-Dazs at any bodega, and yet trusting young children fork their money over by the handful to the criminal for chemical gloop, lured by the piper's song. And that piper's song will be playing for the next six months, everyday til sundown, right outside the office windows, right outside my living room window, and All. Over. NYC.
So you know what? I fucking hate that song. And I fucking hate Mr. Softee.
Yeah, watch for our children so they don't wind up at the bottom of the East River.
I never liked that Mr. Softee. Reminds me of the time I used to live right across the street from Softee HQ, the trucks rolling out at school's out time every day, idling in the street hours on end, same frickin song on a 20 second loop, diesel fumes spewing, churning out their crummy gloob. I'm more Ben and Jerry's Neopolitan
Dynamite. Or the green tea ice cream they have at Village Yokocho - where I am long overdue for a revisit.
I'm sorry that happened! Which Mr. Softee song is your favourite? Mine is the one that I hear only when I'm in Greenpoint. It gots these snappy claps in it. So it's like: CLAP CLAP!...ice cream truck melody...CLAP CLAP! I hear Haagen Daaz is a made-up word by Americans trying to sound 'authentically foreign'! Is that true?
The story of Haagen Dazs -- created in the Bronx with a faux Euro name, as New York as Chinatown Louis Vuitton.
As far as I know, there's only one Mister Softee song -- and there are actually words to it.
Sounds like Steve Buscemi from Trees Lounge was driving the truck.
For me it's all about Chinatown Ice Cream factory. And if you're at a bodega, look for Stoneyfield farms-- surprisingly good.
Given how many ice cream trucks sell weed in this city, he was probably just (rightfully) paranoid. It's no excuse for being rude and threatening, though. I thought pot was supposed to bring the world together, man. Where did that dream go? Where? Did it float away on a wave of chocolatey soft serve?
Dear Ganda : I am very sorry to hear of the negative experience you had with one of our drivers. I can assure you that he is not representative of our franchise dealers. This year we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary which is more indicative of the good people in our organization. For example, this summer our dealers are joining with the JDRF in a promotion to raise $50,000 to support research for juvenile diabetes.
As a point of information, our product is real ice cream. The main ingredients are milk, cream and cane sugar. We use a natural gum based stabilizer which helps the ice cream keep its form. Stabilizer is required for all ice cream products, including Haagen-Dazs.
If I can of any service to you in the future, please contact my office.
Regards,
James Conway
Vice President
Mister Softee Inc.
Please note, Mr. Conway, that stabilizers (Guar Gum, Carrageenan, and the ilk) are not necessary to making ice cream -- as both Haagen Dazs and Breyers demonstrate (they are the only manufacturers of ice cream that do not use such junk in their ice cream).
Don't create the impression in people that additives are "required" when they are most definitely NOT.
What a bunch of crap! I, too, had my spirits lifted by unexpectedly hearing the song of Softee the other evening, but after reading this post, I say screw Mr. Softee! I'm glad there's a Carvel around the corner.
See, the trouble with the ice cream truck, at least in my neighborhood, is that it doesn't just drive by once a day, or even two or three times a day. It's there EVERY FIVE MINUTES PLAYING THAT MUSIC THAT BURNS A HOLE IN MY BRAINS! And it doesn't stop at sundown - I've heard that music pass by as late as 11:30 at night, waking me up! The ice cream truck should be like the mailman, coming to your block once every afternoon to the delight of children everywhere. Instead, it's like a caravan of misery, playing the same three doodly-doodle-oodle-doo songs over and over from morning till midnight so that you'll never know true peace until winter clamps down with its icy mitt!
Wait, there are photoblogger/ice cream man battles in Harlem? I'm totally going to move there.
I'm glad I'm not the only one with a Mr. Softee-song aversion. And if this James Conway guy is for real why didn't he leave his contact info if he really wants to be of "service to you in the future"? Sounds like a pile of soft-serve poop to me.
Where's a picture of this particular Mr. Softee truck & driver?? I'd be happy to get the guy fired and maybe shove some ice cream in his face if I see that truck anywhere....
hello gothamist! we think you're cute too.
i love that james conway, veep, wrote a comment. mad props to lazlo toth.
I'd be curious to read the full list of ingredients for Mister Softee's product, as I am with most foods I buy. Stabilizers are hardly necessary for ice cream, and I'm a fan of those without gums, though I suspect the graininess one sometimes runs across in Breyer's is due to effect of a little melting on the way home from the supermarket and refreezing. A little stabilizer would have prevented that. My understanding is that the gums added as stabilizer are very high in fiber, though I wonder if any ice creams add a significant amount of fiber to your diet.
I loovve Mr.Frosty, In fact, Today I got some ice cream from it.But anyways, that guy is a real jerk, ("and i think their prices are way to high!") but My mr Softee i nice, and has been working there for like 3 years. He always knows what I want.....Also i like the song, because that tells u to get ur money and go down stairs for a treat!!!
-Jessie
age 11, college point
hi jessie,
you're many years away from becoming a grumpy old curmudgeon like me; i hope you hang on to the sunshine for many years to come.
and if you've never tried it, i encourage you to try il laboratorio del gelato, available from the shop on orchard st. and in some stores.
ooh, gelato lab! if only there were a vespa or fiat or something, dispensing gelato, blasting opera to announce its imminent arrival...
Uh to the guy above "you do not need those ingredients" that Jim Conway posted above to have the soft texture to the ice cream, yes you do or you would need a jackhammer to scoop it out! These ingredients are in Hagen-Daz and all the others! They are not required to list them, at least this owner did the right thing by telling you the SAFE additives in his product. As I am quite aware, you have no idea what you are talkng about. Even Edys Ice Cream does the same, you have these harmless ingredients because the Ice Cream would freeze solid. Go see whats in Dairy Freeze fake custard! Mr Softee is far superior in quality so stop your sladerous statement as fact, becuase your statement is without any basis, merit or foundation of the truth. Ice Cream and food additives is my line of expertise. Mr. PHD/MD NIH.
It's really scary how another human can make you so full of rage. You must boycott many places. I would hate to accidently hit the back of your heels with a shopping cart. You are a very angry young woman. They make prescriptions for that.
Long live Mister Softee!!
I hope your website crashes Ganda!!!
xoxoxoxox Have a nice day!
long live mister softee .i drive mister softee vans in england the name mister softee is sadly dying out here.very nice to read all about mister softee still doing well in other countries..keep on playing the tunes and making a living...good luck .ian
long live mister softee .i drive mister softee vans in england the name mister softee is sadly dying out here.very nice to read all about mister softee still doing well in other countries..keep on playing the tunes and making a living...good luck .ian
That driver was/is a jerk... we're not all paranoid. Check out here to view me giving out free ice cream to kids who know the jingle!
I think, Mr. Softee is a vicious service. These trucks stay right at the school gates and kids rush to the ice-cream truck to load themselves with sugar right after school simnply because they see it there! I am always angry to see these trucks around when i pick up my son from school. He is begging me to buy him ice-cream, but after a long school day it is absolutely no-no to give a child so much sugar on the empty stomach, this is the straight road to diabetic health issues and such. And then we are surprised: why is our nation is so fat and sick? Well, say "thanks" to those like mr. Softee, who structure their business without any consideration to kids in fact and without any ethics.