As the weather heats up, the perpetually besieged parents of Park Slope are preparing to face down a seasonal menace: the ice-cream man. (Like there isn’t enough trouble on the ground there already!) Apparently, frozen sugar-and-dairy pushers have been venturing onto the playgrounds of Prospect Park in an effort to get innocent children hooked on the diabetes-laden stuff. Luckily, the neighborhood’s reliably parodic online parenting community is on the case, and the Post has helpfully cherry-picked a few of the most disturbing tales:
“Along with the first truly beautiful day of the year, my son and I had our first ruined day at the playground,” the poster named Sarah somberly recounted. “Two different people came into the actual playground with ice cream/Italian ice push carts. I was able to avoid it for a little while but eventually I left with a crying 4-year-old.”
And then there’s this one:
“I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living!” the poster wailed. “I too was at the 9th Street Playground on Monday, and one of the vendors just handed my 4-year-old an ice cream cone. I was furious.”
Reporters did manage to track down some slightly cooler heads. Of her cohort, one woman said simply, “I think they’re crazy.” Another, who asked to be quoted anonymously because she “feared being ostracized,” suggested that, rather than an all-out ban, parents try to shame the ice-cream man away: “People just need to say no. I say no to him all the time, and I feel his wrath. But he needs to hear that no.” Hear that, kids? Just say no.
