`Mister Softee Tried To Kill Me!'

Hartford Courant ^ | 7/3/02 | Matt Burgard

[marshmallow]

The driver of a Mister Softee truck, allegedly fed up with the tactics of a Hartford neighborhood activist, is facing third-degree assault and breach of peace charges for attacking the activist with a baseball bat, city police said.

Luis Amaro, 51, a part-time Mister Softee driver, is accused of charging out of his truck Saturday and swinging the bat at Wilbur Troutman, a city resident and frequent critic of the jangling kiddie music coming from the truck's loudspeakers.

[marshmallow]

I posted a full version of this article earlier today but it was yanked because the Hartford Courant is apparently an LA Times affiliate. Hence the link in this version.

Silly me.

[Malacoda]

We have duelling ice-cream trucks in our neighborhood -- one plays "Pop Goes the Weasel," and the other plays "Turkey in the Straw."

Incessantly.

I've fantasized about taking a baseball bat to one or both of them....

[PhilDragoo]

Spanish men push little carts with little bells here.

It's summer.

Kids like ice cream.

The judge is not upset--only Troutman.

Troutman, get a life.

[DainBramage]

Daryl Strawberry

[Poohbah]

When the kids find out that Mr. Troutman wants to ban ice cream trucks, Mr. Troutman is going to get EVERY practical joke imaginable played on him until he finally croaks.

[aruanan]

Spanish men push little carts with little bells here.

Yeah, that's really equivalent to trucks you can hear blocks away playing "music" so loud the amp is clipping.

[morjon]

It's not hard to see why he got so mad, who'd wanna go around being called "Mr. Softee"????

[general_re]

We have duelling ice-cream trucks in our neighborhood -- one plays "Pop Goes the Weasel," and the other plays "Turkey in the Straw."

Incessantly.

Lucky b*st*rd. I dream about "Turkey in the Straw" - around here, it's "The Entertainer". Incessantly. At what I estimate to be about 140 decibels...

[KarlInOhio]

If he wanted someone who would just smile at his hijinks, he should have harassed the Good Humor man instead.

[Good to hear about the LA Times thing. I thought that maybe Mr. Softee had gotten to JimRob ;-) ]

[Cleburne]

While the victim is a rather fishy man, I say we should not let ourselves go soft on the perpetrator.

[PhilDragoo]

No, what's equivalent are the boom boxes that rattle the windows and the car stereos that sound like fourteen guys with guitars and trumpets are on your porch.

It's summer.

[general_re]

I thought that maybe Mr. Softee had gotten to JimRob

Most people don't know that ice-cream truck mobsters are the most dangerous of all. Just look at the story above.

They undoubtedly made JimRob an offer he couldn't refuse...

[KS Flyover]

Here's a photo of the perp.

[PhilDragoo]

A conehead.

I knew it.

[triplejake]

I drove one of those ice cream vans one summer while in college, and had a guy run out and scream at me once because of the tinny music the vans play. Didn't have a bat with me, though.

[Jhoffa_]

I think troutman ought to get a medal..

[apochromat]

You don't expect this sort of beligerence from a frozen confection, especially a soft-serve.

[csvset]

"The Entertainer"

Lol. Yep, here too. I'd dread when they pulled over near my house, music blasting while every kid within 5 blocks ambles over to buy a bomb pop.

He doesn't cruise our neighborhood as much as he used to, although I did see him pass by the other day, sans music.

[rabidralph]

Spanish men push little carts with little bells here.

A man selling ice cream, singing Italian songs...

[general_re]

I'd dread when they pulled over near my house, music blasting while every kid within 5 blocks ambles over to buy a bomb pop.

Heh. One of my neighbors finally talked the guy into shutting off the music while not actually in motion, on the grounds that, sooner or later, the ice cream man would be sued by the parents of some kid who went deaf while standing in line. Now we only get music while he's coming or going, at least ;)