Did you have an ice cream truck cruise around your neighborhood when you were growing up? Are they still around? I do not hear them very often these days but when I do they sure do bring a smile to my face.
An ice cream truck (or ice cream van as they are called in the U.K.) is a commercial vehicle serving as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, primarily. They usually have other cold or frozen treats like popsicles. They also often sell sodas or other cold non-alcoholic drinks. Along the sides of an ice cream truck are large sliding windows which open up and act as a serving hatch. These windows, and the side of the ice cream truck are often covered with small pictures of the available products and their associated prices.
You can often see an ice cream truck parked at parks or public events, beaches, or other areas where people gather on a hot summer day. You see the ice cream truck near where children play — outside schools or cruising around in residential areas. They drive around slowly until they see some one waving them down to stop so a sale can be made.
They generally play music on external speakers to attract consumers to their trucks. This is the part that makes me smile most.
Usually the songs they play on the external speakers of the ice cream truck are some famous or recognizable tune. Some of the popular tunes are “The Mister Softee Jingle”, “Turkey in the Straw”, “Do Your Ears Hang Low?, “Pop Goes The Weasel” “The Entertainer”, “Music Box Dancer”, “Home on the Range”, “It’s a Small World”, “Super Mario Bros. theme” or “Camptown Races”. In some places in the US, ice cream trucks play the song “Ice Cream
The chimes on early ice cream trucks were often operated by a hand driven crank so they were used sparingly. Modern chimes are always electrically operated and amplified and somehow children seem to be able to hear them from miles away.
Regardless of the song they play, the music from an ice cream truck always makes me smile.
Are you a fan of the ice cream truck music? Did the truck come around your neighborhood? Click here to leave a comment and share your opinion and experience. Would love to hear from you.
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