They were a staple of my youth and my Grandparents were an easy mark. I have not seen one in years. That was a time in the city where you sat on the front stoop because you had no air conditioning and hoped you would hear the familiar tune of "Turkey in the straw."

We have them here. Our friend's (now) 13 y/o daughter grew up with jumping out of the pool and running out front when the truck came into the neighborhood. She has so many pseudo aunts and uncles she never had to work very hard at getting ice cream money.

In Michigan, we had the Good Humor Man. In. Cincinnati we have Mr. Softie. He occasionally makes it in to our Neighborhood. You can still hear the music blocks away, letting you know the good stuff is on its way.

Back in the early 90's a friend bought one. I helped him get it sorted out and ready for business. Now and then I'd go with him. The markup, at least at the time was obscene. He eventually carved out an area, figured out what the most profitable times of the day were and he got to the point where he only went about 3-4 hours a day. Part time job with full time pay.

However... eventually it got to him. The children, the music, the monotony.


We still have them around.

I grew up in Park Ridge IL. on the far NW border of Chicago back in the 1950's. I fondly remember Good Humor Ice cream and there distinctive trucks.I never saw any other ice cream vender in my area.
The quality of the Good Humor ice cream was second to none.

Years later when I worked on the Armored trucks I would do a special pick-up at the end of the day to a compound located near Cicero ave and the Eisenhower expressway on the Chicago west side. The pick up was at a place called Par's Ice cream. They had a large fenced lot. Inside the lot was a old fleet of Good Humor Ice Cream trucks just sitting dormant. I used to fantasias about what a great Drag race vehicle one of the short trucks would make, mount a huge big block under the hood and huge racing slicks crammed into the rear axel housing.

The Par's ice cream compound was VERY heavily guarded by many Arab looking guys all heavily armed with AK's and pistols. Inside the office they had firearms/ammo stacked everywhere.Apparently no worry there about Chicago gun laws only about fighting off the neighbors, I could see there point and admired there ability and desire to protect themselves. They obviously saw no value in calling the police if they had a problem. Any problems with the "neighbors" would be handled in house. I guess running an all cash wholesale business in a horrible neighborhood require thinking outside the box.

I see Good Humor ice cream offered in store but the quality is no where what it used to be off the old trucks. I never remember a bad experience buying as a kid from the trucks.

Innocent times we will probably never see again.

quote:

They had a large fenced lot. Inside the lot was a old fleet of Good Humor Ice Cream trucks just sitting dormant.

Rather sad.

There were at least 3 of the square box ice cream trucks parked on the public street 100 yards across from my elementary and middle school. Those dudes knew the bell schedules fl every school around.

Last one I saw around here was a bombed out conversion van with a home made hole chopped in the passenger side to sell out of and had a Honda generator secured out back on a cargo rack that inserted into the hitch receiever and a 10 guage extension cord running inside to keep the chest freezer frozen. Most creative thing is seen in a long while.

They’re still around. We have a Mister Softee that comes around our area in the summers and there’s a number of ice cream trucks that cover Sandbridge Beach, VA where we go on vacation each year.

I’d imagine there’s a reason you don’t see as many as in the old days because I’m sure it’s not an easy way to make any money.

Mister Softee must be a Pennsylvania thing. We had them back then.

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Originally posted by nosticks:
Mister Softee must be a Pennsylvania thing. We had them back then.

Founded in PA and HQ in NJ

What’s funny is I was looking up the Mister Softee jingle on my phone on YouTube and my seven-year-old son heard it and ran over to the window

Once in a while I’ll see one in the summertime, but they’re lucky if 3 kids in an entire neighborhood buy anything. It’s sad to see the things that were a big part of your childhood fade away.

Around here we have Hispanic people pushing carts of central American ice cream. Packaging is a little suspect and it's probably not USDA certified or anything, but it tastes pretty good. Every now and then I see an ice cream truck, but it's only once or twice a year. I often wonder what the reason is they chose my street that particular day?

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Originally posted by armored:

Years later when I worked on the Armored trucks I would do a special pick-up at the end of the day to a compound located near Cicero ave and the Eisenhower expressway on the Chicago west side. The pick up was at a place called Par's Ice cream. They had a large fenced lot. Inside the lot was a old fleet of Good Humor Ice Cream trucks just sitting dormant.

Cicero and Arthington?

Good Humor was based (at least the Chicago operation) there when I spent a couple summers driving for them in 1966-67 before I started college. You're right about the quality of their products, they were top-of-the-line, for sure.

I'd usually start out about 10AM and get back to the yard about 9 or 10PM, load up for the next morning, then take the Cicero Avenue bus to the Lake Street "L" out to Oak Park where I lived. Back then it was still safe for a white kid, even at that time of night.

The truck I usually drove was based on a 1948 Ford Pickup chassis, and neither the Speedo nor the Fuel Gauge worked. They were governed at about 45mph, I think, which made it rough heading west on the Eisenhower, especially when I had to use the center lane for the split at Hillside, but everybody seemed to like the Good Humor man, and nobody ever got pissed about my speed.

As to drag racing, it would take more than a motor, you'd need a better rear axle as well. I had one snap on the way home one night, it sheared a brakeline and I flipped over in the intersection of Roosevelt and Wolf.

Fun times!

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Originally posted by P-220:
In. Cincinnati we have Mr. Softie.

There was a Mr.Softee truck parked on the Beechmont Circle for decades, I don't know if it's still there.
and thanks for putting Turkey in the Straw in my head.

In ‘62 I lived with my grandmother in Lakewood CA. She’d give me a nickel and I’d sit on the steps in the afternoon waiting for the Good Humor Man. If he didn’t show, we’d walk to the Thrifty Drugs at the Lakewood Center and I’d get a five cent cone. Chocolate Chip of course.

A bit off topic, but in the mornings we got the Helms Bakery truck. Good times.

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:

quote:

Originally posted by P-220:
In. Cincinnati we have Mr. Softie.

There was a Mr.Softee truck parked on the Beechmont Circle for decades, I don't know if it's still there.
and thanks for putting Turkey in the Straw in my head.

I remember passing this on our way to Lunken Airport.

There is a truck that sometimes goes through my neighborhood. A neighbor bought some treats for his kids. After the truck drove away he was using some pretty severe curse words about the prices.

During the 10 months of warm weather here, one rolls through my neighborhood at least once a week.

Chasing down the ice cream truck doesn't burn enough calories to offset the ice cream

We had Good Humor and Bungalow Bar where I grew up. The drivers were college students on summer break and occasionally got caught selling weed.

Over here we have two or three that come around multiple times a day.

I suspect that it is a Cheech and Chong type situation.