Ice Cream Vans, Noisy Nuisance

Waynecarr · 13-05-2009 3:15pm #1

Anybody else fed up with these things. We have two coming into our estate every day and sitting there with that bloody music constantly blaring. I have asked both of them to lessen the time they spend sitting parked in the van with the jingle on. They always say sorry but next night its the same thing again. Getting to be a real pain now as its always as we are putting our 7 month old to sleep.

Is this some form of noise pollution ? Not even sure who to speak to about this, council/cops/anyone because its bugging the crap out of me and other neighbours now.

Appreciate the guys have to make a living but surely not by making such a nuisance of themsleves

Any thoughts or ideas

mike65 · 13-05-2009 3:21pm

They are a right pain, its get positivly stupid when they are hawking for business in the foul January weather!

Hard to know how to deal with this one, how late are they? Dunno if there is a by-law regarding excessive noise after a certain hour.

Found this http://www.waterfordcity.ie/environment/noisepollution.htm

AdMMM · 13-05-2009 3:21pm

I think you guys are getting old

mike65 · 13-05-2009 3:25pm

and?

chrisp2281 · 13-05-2009 3:25pm

No way guys, do you not remember when you were a child and you'd hear that sound and go running inside begging your parents for enough money for a screwball. They are now an integral part of Irish Life

old gregg · 13-05-2009 3:28pm

we had the same thing many years ago with the van stopped outside our house with the music blaring and our newborn crying indoors.

I asked nicely for 3 nights and then used a Tony Soprano-lite mildly threatening approach after making sure no-one else was within earshot. Perhaps the words 'ice cream', 'arse' and 'shove' were used in the same sentence.

The van stopped coming onto the street completely. Funny, in later years our kids used to ask us how come the ice cream truck never comes up our street :P

Mossy Monk · 13-05-2009 3:29pm

chrisp2281 wrote: »

They are now an integral part of Irish Life

What are you on about? Integral part of Irish life. Sorry but that's a load of bollocks.

chrisp2281 · 13-05-2009 3:36pm

Mossy Monk wrote: »

What are you on about? Integral part of Irish life. Sorry but that's a load of bollocks.

I was being sarcastic

ex_infantry man · 13-05-2009 6:09pm

it aint just ice cream he sells now!!! it lucky bags and other crap stuff too!!! ripping poor kids off

henboy · 13-05-2009 6:29pm

Waynecarr wrote: »

Anybody else fed up with these things. We have two coming into our estate every day and sitting there with that bloody music constantly blaring. I have asked both of them to lessen the time they spend sitting parked in the van with the jingle on. They always say sorry but next night its the same thing again. Getting to be a real pain now as its always as we are putting our 7 month old to sleep.

Is this some form of noise pollution ? Not even sure who to speak to about this, council/cops/anyone because its bugging the crap out of me and other neighbours now.

Appreciate the guys have to make a living but surely not by making such a nuisance of themsleves

Any thoughts or ideas

get a life would ye, or move to the sticks

mike65 · 13-05-2009 6:54pm

henboy, someone with a 7 month old baby has no life. Thats the point, to a degree.

henboy · 13-05-2009 9:17pm

mike65 wrote: »

henboy, someone with a 7 month old baby has no life. Thats the point, to a degree.

Mike he lives on an estate, his going to get ice cream van's. And he just might get his neighbour cutting his grass at 8am on a Saaturday. Thats the way it goes pal.

Junior · 13-05-2009 9:51pm

Seriously with a name like that is this not a wind up ?

mikemac · 13-05-2009 9:56pm

They sell cartons of cigarettes too..............fresh from the Baltic states too at dirt cheap (compared to Ireland) prices.
Well, at least my landlord tells me.

They ain't selling icecream in January, it's mainly newspapers and cigarettes

Elle Victorine · 13-05-2009 10:14pm

I have never had this issue...in all my years...the ****ers never came around my street !¬¬

seanybiker · 13-05-2009 10:19pm

I hear em all the time but they dont bother me. Tis only a bit of crappy music. I loved it as a child so I would sound like a hypocrite giving out about something thats been around for years and only disliking it now.

counterpointaud · 14-05-2009 8:20am

seanybiker wrote: »

I hear em all the time but they dont bother me. Tis only a bit of crappy music. I loved it as a child so I would sound like a hypocrite giving out about something thats been around for years and only disliking it now.

Seany, in fairness...back in the day they weren't pushing out anything like the volume that they are now. The guy that comes into my estate has the amp pushed to hard that all you can hear is ugly distortion at unbelievable levels. I mean the speakers actually sound blown at this stage but he still pumps it out regardless. I used to have an SPL meter for work, and was seriously considering getting another one just for this guy. The levels were uncomfortable for me in the shower upstairs with the double-glazed windows closed, and that is definately into hearing damage level if you were close to the source.

He also has no problem with coming around at 8:30 - 9pm

Anyone in politics or law here want to comment ? Stan Nangle ?

Cabaal · 14-05-2009 8:27am

The EPA in Ireland regulate noise pollution....noisy neighbors/loud music etc.

The times you can't have loud music is after 11pm and before 7am if I remember correctly from the EPA website, as such I don't believe the EPA will do much.

I suppose you could get a NoiseMeter and see if the volume he has is music at is breaking any laws that way as they are restrictions on the loudness of music as well as times loud music etc can be played.

If it breaks the law report him to EPA then,

In relation to comments regarding selling fags, given he's selling ice cream to children and also illegal cigerates he should be reported for both of these imho

counterpointaud · 14-05-2009 8:54am

Cabaal wrote: »

The EPA in Ireland regulate noise pollution....noisy neighbors/loud music etc.

The times you can't have loud music is after 11pm and before 7am if I remember correctly from the EPA website, as such I don't believe the EPA will do much.

That's for general noise, but you can exceed acceptable SPL at any time.

http://www.envirocentre.ie/Content.aspx?ID=784cba25-649f-4af4-9366-4f45049207b3&PID=518accea-eec4-4cdf-b034-78ce58eacb4d

Waynecarr · 14-05-2009 9:10am

henboy wrote: »

get a life would ye, or move to the sticks

Happy where I am apart from these lads thanks. As I said don’t mind them coming in but it's the fact they both sit there with the music as loud as can be for way too long while the baby is trying to get asleep.
We can hear them coming from half a mile away so no need to be outside the door announcing themselves also.

One of the drivers spends so much time texting on he phone there is normally a queue of 6-7 kids before he even notices and switches the jingle off.
One of the neighbors had a bit of moment with one of them last night along the lines of what old gregg was saying so will be interesting to see how it goes from now on. The neighbor by the way is one of the quietest people I ever met so that will give you an indication of how much of a wind up these guys are

gscully · 14-05-2009 11:52am

Waynecarr wrote: »

Happy where I am apart from these lads thanks. As I said don’t mind them coming in but it's the fact they both sit there with the music as loud as can be for way too long while the baby is trying to get asleep.
We can hear them coming from half a mile away so no need to be outside the door announcing themselves also.

One of the drivers spends so much time texting on he phone there is normally a queue of 6-7 kids before he even notices and switches the jingle off.
One of the neighbors had a bit of moment with one of them last night along the lines of what old gregg was saying so will be interesting to see how it goes from now on. The neighbor by the way is one of the quietest people I ever met so that will give you an indication of how much of a wind up these guys are

I can certainly sympathise. I have a young daughter and we are trying to train her to go off to sleep herself at night. We will have put her down to sleep in her cot and ten mins later, just when we think she's asleep, some election canvassers will come hammering on the door (more than once), or a taxi-driver will sound his horn, or like you say, the ice-cream van will pass by and she will be disturbed by it. A whole night can be ruined because of this.

To those who are thinking 'get a life', parents like us would have more of a life if there wasn't so much noise pollution by third-parties!

henboy · 14-05-2009 3:41pm

gscully wrote: »

I can certainly sympathise. I have a young daughter and we are trying to train her to go off to sleep herself at night. We will have put her down to sleep in her cot and ten mins later, just when we think she's asleep, some election canvassers will come hammering on the door (more than once), or a taxi-driver will sound his horn, or like you say, the ice-cream van will pass by and she will be disturbed by it. A whole night can be ruined because of this.

To those who are thinking 'get a life', parents like us would have more of a life if there wasn't so much noise pollution by third-parties!

Are you serious ? Some day your daughter will grow up and go running to the ice cream van. And when she's older she will be getting Taxis home at all hours, Who knows she might want our vote one day her self. Cop on would ye.

ex_infantry man · 14-05-2009 4:10pm

henboy wrote: »

Are you serious ? Some day your daughter will grow up and go running to the ice cream van. And when she's older she will be getting Taxis home at all hours, Who knows she might want our vote one day her self. Cop on would ye.

some1 ban this fella!!!!!!

ziedth · 14-05-2009 5:04pm

i personally never had a problem with them, again i can agree with the op that they don't have a right wake your baby. So all in all i'm fairly neutral here. God i'd love a feast now

mike65 · 14-05-2009 5:11pm

ex_infantry man wrote: »

some1 ban this fella!!!!!!

Sully has done his ban of the day

magick · 14-05-2009 5:30pm

everytime i hear that music im reminded of the homicidal insane clown who had an ice cream truck with machine guns in twisted metal 2

Cabaal · 14-05-2009 5:54pm

henboy wrote: »

Are you serious ? Some day your daughter will grow up and go running to the ice cream van. And when she's older she will be getting Taxis home at all hours, Who knows she might want our vote one day her self. Cop on would ye.

I don't even have kids and I can see where these parents are coming from, ok you can't stop taxi drivers or some muppet election canvassers.....by your "she might want our vote one day her self" I'm thinking you are one of those muppets.

Anyway to get back on topic the ice cream vans should limit the times the visit toi say before 8.30...its not unreasonable to a degree due to many familys with babies trying to get them to sleep

henboy · 14-05-2009 7:07pm

Cabaal wrote: »

I don't even have kids and I can see where these parents are coming from, ok you can't stop taxi drivers or some muppet election canvassers.....by your "she might want our vote one day her self" I'm thinking you are one of those muppets.

Anyway to get back on topic the ice cream vans should limit the times the visit toi say before 8.30...its not unreasonable to a degree due to many familys with babies trying to get them to sleep

Cabaal -- I'm not involved in any elections, I agree about the time limit but shor these guys always did come around in the evening time. It's just my view, for what its worth I don't think I shoud get a ban because someone says so.

Cabaal · 14-05-2009 7:18pm

henboy wrote: »

Cabaal -- I'm not involved in any elections, I agree about the time limit but shor these guys always did come around in the evening time. It's just my view, for what its worth I don't think I shoud get a ban because someone says so.

I never said you should get a ban, I'm not even a mod of this forum so I have no input to such things.

If you look at door to door calling I believe that with more and more people commuting further distances to work the election crowd are now calling later in the evenings because people are now home later.

So things have changed abit of the years

nkay1985 · 14-05-2009 11:45pm

I can see people's point here. It must be very frustrating for a child to be disturbed by this. But, at the end of the day, these people are out trying to earn a living. They must get more of a response doing it the way they do, or else they wouldn't do it.

If you actually want something to be done about it, then you have to take action. My suggestion would be to tell the driver that if he doesn't have the music turned off 20/30/40/however many seconds after he pulls up, then you'll be writing to all of the people in your neighbourhood asking them to boycott the van on the basis that it's disturbing young families. It's a reasonable request to the person and it has consequences if he doesn't go along with it.

Cabaal · 15-05-2009 6:55am

nkay1985 wrote: »

If you actually want something to be done about it, then you have to take action. My suggestion would be to tell the driver that if he doesn't have the music turned off 20/30/40/however many seconds after he pulls up, then you'll be writing to all of the people in your neighbourhood asking them to boycott the van on the basis that it's disturbing young families. It's a reasonable request to the person and it has consequences if he doesn't go along with it.

Sounds like a plan, it leaves the ball in his court and its in his interest to turn down the music if he wants to keep business

Thankfully these lads only come into the place I live once in a blue moon but this may change now as the weather gets better

Wilde_37 · 20-06-2009 7:35am

A comedian on TV once said that as a child he never got ice-cream from the van because his father was too mean - he used to say "The ice-cream man plays that music to tell his wife that he has no more ice-cream and is coming home for his dinner" !!!

Sully · 20-06-2009 8:33am

Wilde_37 wrote: »

A comedian on TV once said that as a child he never got ice-cream from the van because his father was too mean - he used to say "The ice-cream man plays that music to tell his wife that he has no more ice-cream and is coming home for his dinner" !!!

Where's the punch line?

bernardo mac · 20-06-2009 9:20am

Not particularly, in this neck of the woods,although I have heard some at an irritatingly high volume level in other urban areas,possibly competing for customer attention.There's an idea for another urban drama.The chimes from some vans remind me of a few churches I'v heard calling to their flock.Kind of electronically programmed tunes.Certainly not as dignified as the traditional bellringing.But ice cream "music" is better than the illegal roars from souped up engines that blast their progress through residential and urban areas.LOOK OUT KIDS AND OLD FOLK. The ice cream van also has competition from those mobile high volume dance beat discos that announce to all that the driver is trendy,needs to be noticed,and,usually has loud and lousy taste!:eek:

er1983 · 13-02-2014 4:48pm

Its that time again lads. Stupid icecream van is back. I dont mind them coming into the estate & also understand parents frustrations. One of the vans that comes into our estate parks right outside our house every single day for about 8 months of the year. I do have a problem with this as all the kids gather outside which leads to all them throwing their rubbish outside our house and it is a lot of rubbish. I had a word with him, at first he was arrogant, then calmed down when i went to explain, said he will try park somewhere else and see how that works and if not will park outside ours again. Surely there is a law when all his rubbish is being thrown around that there is something we can do and also he said he's apparently licenced to sell here, anyway of checking this out? Need to sort this asap especially as today is the first day of many for the next 8 months

Potential-Monke · 13-02-2014 5:00pm

Check with City/County Council to see if he is registered as a business and can collect in that area (didn't know you needed permission!). As for the rubbish, it's technically not his problem. He sells the product and the consumers are responsible for the rubbish.

Where exactly is he parking? Is it on the footpath? On your drive? Blocking access to your drive? The only way of stopping him parking in front of yours is if he is parking on a footpath or blocking access to somewhere.

er1983 · 13-02-2014 5:09pm

Hi, yes you do need a licence to sell. As far as i am aware the rubbish is his problem its being sold out of his van as I know a couple of businesses have gotten fined as their rubbish was thrown outside there premises even though bins were provided. He is parking on our footpath and also along that footpath he is blocking the green ESB box.

cbl593h · 13-02-2014 7:39pm

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

.Henry Sellers. · 13-02-2014 9:26pm

Wiggy lives by his own rules.

Sully · 13-02-2014 9:52pm

cbl593h wrote: »

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If you have nothing useful to say, I suggest you say nothing at all. Thanks.

Speak Now · 14-02-2014 11:05am

Looks like the kids are the main problem here.

er1983 · 14-02-2014 2:11pm

Mixture of both

sabi_sabi · 07-04-2015 8:00am

Has anyone got any positive outcomes of dealing with the issue? We also have a 7 month old baby, and the van wakes him up EVERY DAY. Not only that it wakes him up, it frightens him so much he screams (he never does it otherwise). As result my child does not go back to sleep and his day time naps are 2 hours instead of the recommended 3.5. This affects his health big time, and mine as well as I am very stressed about the situation. I've spoken to the can driver, but he "needs to earn his living".

I'd appreciate an ideas as to how to go about this situation in a civilized manner.

Max Powers · 07-04-2015 8:56am

sabi_sabi wrote: »

Has anyone got any positive outcomes of dealing with the issue? We also have a 7 month old baby, and the van wakes him up EVERY DAY. Not only that it wakes him up, it frightens him so much he screams (he never does it otherwise). As result my child does not go back to sleep and his day time naps are 2 hours instead of the recommended 3.5. This affects his health big time, and mine as well as I am very stressed about the situation. I've spoken to the can driver, but he "needs to earn his living".

I'd appreciate an ideas as to how to go about this situation in a civilized manner.

sounds like a pain, you have done all that can be reasonably expected by asking him to play it lower or when past your house and you are right, he's earning a living so you dont want to prevent that. You are not the only person to have a baby startled by a loud noise (roadworks, kids playing on street etc)Possible suggestion, sound proof room, move baby to back of house, play some white noise which will drown out the ice cream tune.

Noxegon · 24-04-2023 2:29pm

Bumping a very old thread here, but I have the same issue now – a van playing music six days a week. Would really like it to stop.

Cba194 · 02-05-2023 7:46pm

Same as Noxegon. It's 8.45pm and he's driving around the estate blaring that stupid music. It's fine if he comes during the day but when it's already getting dark... Surely there's a law that prohibits a Ltd company conducting business in residential areas, especially at night?

fuzzy dunlop · 08-05-2023 8:37am

I don't get the fuss about this to be honest.

Although I do remember for a period back in the day that every time I was having a Saturday afternoon shag that the ice cream van would come along and kill the mood.Although it was as much funny as it was frustrating.

I suggest hanging a tie on your front door

https://media.istockphoto.com/id/187304877/photo/tie-knob.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=CiDk9YRWZ9pMD4KLhPUyFSH371oVbXlIt8hqHZyrHL4=