Told Off A "mr Whippy" Van Driver This Arvo

[RobH]

This afternoon I was happily potting some seedlings on the front patio with my 7 year old daughter who just loves helping daddy out in the garden when the familiar tune of a "Mr Whippy" van was heard coming down the street ... and what child can't resist running out to look ... even if it is just to watch ... and as we have never bought anything from Mr Whippy in the past (due to dairy intolerance issues amongst other things) my daughter hs no expectation of buying anything from him, she like all other children is mainly attracted to the spectacle of a big pink van playing music.

I kept an eye on her, staying out of sight just around the corner of the patio, my daughter had stopped at the top of our yard and lay down on her tummy on our lawn, near where the van had pulled up over the other side of the cul-de-sac - just as I had expected, to watch the big pink van which plays Greensleeves.

The driver had no customers, and so he must have called out something to my daughter from the drivers window, because I saw her shaking her head at him - the next moment he was holding something out the window to her ... looked like it might have been a can of soft drink or something ... my blood temperature rose very quickly, and as my daughter jumped up and ran on to the road (sure it is a cul-de-sac but all the same it is a road) towards the van I called out to her to stop and come to me ... I also stood on the patio where the driver could now see me. My daughter ran back to me & the van drove off around the corner.

I immediately explained to my daughter that I was not angry at her, it was not her fault, and that I was proud of her for listening to me and obeying when I called out to her to stop, and gave her a big hug ... still she ran off crying to her room.

Maybe I am over-protective and over-sensitive, but seeing how much it had upset my daughter made my blood boil! I marched up and around the corner to where the van was stopped and gave him an earfull - challenged him about offering things to young children without their parents being directly present and involved! I then marched back home and gave my daughter some mango sorbet in a cone to cheer her up.

In retrospect I wondered why it pissed me off so much, it was partly because he was offering something to my daughter without my consent, partly because his actions encouraged my daughter to run on to the road without paying attention to any possible danger from other possible traffic, and then there was the whole breaking the rules about "stranger danger" ... what does he think just because he is in a big pink van that he is some exception to that rule?

That last point I guess was at the top of my mind as only two weeks ago children from my daughters school where approached by strangers who invited them into their car. Here is an excerpt from the schools weekly newsletter...

"Recently there have been some incidents reported to local Police where children on the way home from school have been encouraged to get into a car with a stranger. The occasion reported to us at school involved four young men in a white station wagon. The men invited our young students to get into their car. Police have informed the parent involved that this incident was not isolated to their area (Faulconbridge) but similar incidents have been reported in Winmalee, with different vehicles involved."

Sure in this instance it was "Mr Whippy" ... but in my mind the principle is the same, and his actions just create a conflict in the childs mind - that maybe it is ok to walk up to some strangers ... you know, the ones that appear to be credible!

 

[nardcooker]

"Mr Whippy" / "Home ice cream" etc are all road based spammers. I can't understand how they can still get away with their noise pollution (apart from paying the council). Good work on telling him off regarding his offer of boiled lollies for the kids (or whatever else he was trying to push). I've been telling my boys for years .... "they only play music when they have run out of ice-cream". My boys have gone to the front balcony and yelled at him to turn it off in the past.
If the product is good I will come and find you, don't try and spam me with greensleeves and then (in the case of mr whippy) try to sell me a product that's made in a very questionable / unsanitary environment. Sat and Sun afternoons are reserved for rest and relaxation not council approved noise pollution. Another thing .....does "mr whippy" need a blue card ?

 

[white.grant]

"Mr Whippy" / "Home ice cream" etc are all road based spammers. I can't understand how they can still get away with their noise pollution (apart from paying the council). Good work on telling him off regarding his offer of boiled lollies for the kids (or whatever else he was trying to push). I've been telling my boys for years .... "they only play music when they have run out of ice-cream". My boys have gone to the front balcony and yelled at him to turn it off in the past.
If the product is good I will come and find you, don't try and spam me with greensleeves and then (in the case of mr whippy) try to sell me a product that's made in a very questionable / unsanitary environment. Sat and Sun afternoons are reserved for rest and relaxation not council approved noise pollution. Another thing .....does "mr whippy" need a blue card ?

In Campbelltown, Mr Whippy and Home Ice Cream (amongst other street hawkers) are not permitted to operate. Funnily enough, quite a lot of people think the Council is being unreasonable about this. Seems you can't make everyone happy.

cheers

grant

 

[komodo]

As a kid we used to LOVE Mr Whippy coming around.
But I have to say I do often wonder about the legitimacy of some of these businesses. They seem to come around irregularly and the vans always seem like some clapped out old 1970's bedford. They never seem to have a new Vito van or newer Transit high roof converted to Mr Whippy...

Dont get me wrong I'm not suggesting these guys are all dodgy but you would think in this day and age they would have to show a working with children ID. and that the council would have designated areas for them to pull up and at designated times.

I know down where mum and dads holiday house is the Mr Whippy man isnt allowed within a certain radius of any of the icecream shops (beach side holiday town) so that pretty much kill him off.

 

[InCider]

I'd do the same Rob, and my daughter and sons would behave the same way. Good on you mate.

InCider.

 

[Pennywise]

I'd have been pissed off as well, you handled the situation better than I would have.

 

[Josh]

Mr Whippy has saved me a few times this Summer with a delicious raspberry slushie at drinks during Saturday arvo cricket.

A working with kids ID might be a good idea, but banning them is not.

 

[Silo Ted]

But I have to say I do often wonder about the legitimacy of some of these businesses. They seem to come around irregularly and the vans always seem like some clapped out old 1970's bedford. They never seem to have a new Vito van or newer Transit high roof converted to Mr Whippy...

We actually saw a brand spankin' new icecream van last week, pimped up with fats, mags, tinted windows, custom airbrush paintjob. Seriously though, to be spending that sort of outlay on something that couldn't be making too much money as a single vehicle... seems like a front for money laundering to me.

 

[HoppingMad]

Flame suit on. h34r:

Agree with your concern, but do think you need to see it also from the van guy's side.
He probably had some excess stock on a slow day and figured he'd use it to brighten up someone's day.

I don't know if there was necessarily anything mean-intentioned in it. It sounds like his heart was in the right place.

People offering chocolate at kids parties don't realise there are kids there with nut alergies, Tuckshops offering bread staples and pikelets don't realise some kids have coeliacs, you could go on. Not everyone is a mind reader. I don't think we need to instill a code of conduct on Mr Whippy Van drivers. That would be political correctness gone mad.

Give the poor guy the benefit of the doubt I say, he was trying to put a smile on your daughter's face. I'm not sure he meant anything by it.

Hopper.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Would be OK if Mr Whippy also sold cold beers.

 

[staggalee]

I don't know if there was necessarily anything mean-intentioned in it. It sounds like his heart was in the right place.

Hopper.

oh yeah? Well how bout this?
Years ago, there was a lovely old couple Barney and Flo in our street, Barney confided to me over a few beers that him and Flo used to have a nooky every Sunday morning to the sound of the distant church bell tolling.
Barney used to keep his stroke to the bell toll....slow and steady.
Anyway, this idiot in a Whippy van came into the street with his music up full bore, Barney got confused, lost his beat and tried to keep up with "Greensleeves".
Had a massive heart attack and died on the job. Now poor old Barney`s gone at 95 and Flo goes into shock whenever she sees ice cream.
I hope they throw the book at that murdering *******.

 

[schooey]

oh yeah? Well how bout this?
Years ago, there was a lovely old couple Barney and Flo in our street, Barney confided to me over a few beers that him and Flo used to have a nooky every Sunday morning to the sound of the distant church bell tolling.
Barney used to keep his stroke to the bell toll....slow and steady.
Anyway, this idiot in a Whippy van came into the street with his music up full bore, Barney got confused, lost his beat and tried to keep up with "Greensleeves".
Had a massive heart attack and died on the job. Now poor old Barney`s gone at 95 and Flo goes into shock whenever she sees ice cream.
I hope they throw the book at that murdering *******.

:lol:

Now that's two of the more obscure AHB acid tongue users that have made me have profuse lolz today... whos said AHB is losing
it's touch?

 

[petesbrew]

oh yeah? Well how bout this?
Years ago, there was a lovely old couple Barney and Flo in our street, Barney confided to me over a few beers that him and Flo used to have a nooky every Sunday morning to the sound of the distant church bell tolling.
Barney used to keep his stroke to the bell toll....slow and steady.
Anyway, this idiot in a Whippy van came into the street with his music up full bore, Barney got confused, lost his beat and tried to keep up with "Greensleeves".
Had a massive heart attack and died on the job. Now poor old Barney`s gone at 95 and Flo goes into shock whenever she sees ice cream.
I hope they throw the book at that murdering *******.

Maybe it's the tripel IPA I've had, but I'm in tears. :lol:

 

[Dave70]

The guy who use to service our old neighborhood was a hairy olive skinned gent with 'Mr Ricky' painted on his van.
He still used the Greensleeves tune however.
The only time I ate one of his soft serves I developed explosive diarrhea within half an hour.

Evey time I hear that ******* 'ding da da ding - ding ding, ding ding I get stomach cramps.