Is Your Neighborhood Ice Cream Man A Little Creepy?

When I was younger there was no better treat than getting an ice cream from the neighborhood ice cream man.  Oh how times have changed.  Is it just me or do a lot of today's ice cream men (or woman) look a little less friendly and clean than when we were younger?

Maybe I have just clouded my memory with good thoughts, but back in the day the ice cream man looked friendly and the van was usually clean with music playing.  Today, I see a whole different scenario.

The other day my son heard the ice cream truck music and wanted begged for an ice cream.  It sounded extra good to me so we jumped in the car and went looking for the infamous ice cream man.  What we found was something a little scary and gross.

The van was a pale yellow with a bunch of the ice cream stickers peeled off.  The driver was an older man that looked unshaven and dirty like he just over-hauled a motor.  And to top things off, he was hauling butt in that van.

I was hesitant to stop him, but I couldn't break my son's heart so we did.  The next sight was worse than I had originally thought.  He reeked of alcohol and his clothes were ragged and torn.  Thankfully, he did not have the ice cream my son wanted.

Not long ago, an ice cream man in the Avondale area had the police called on him for suspicious behavior and interaction with the children.

Now I am not judging anyone, but if you are catering to children, you shouldn't smell like a brewery.  And when dealing with any kind of food, cleanliness should be at the top of your list.

I understand that not all ice cream trucks are this horrible, but none of them should be.  Is it just me or has the ice cream man taken a turn for the worst?