Mr. Softee drivers will cut jingle

In 35 years as an ice cream truck driver for Mr. Softee, Paul Ferguson has learned that his truck's familiar jingle - a joyous anthem for thousands of children each year - can be a bit annoying for neighborhood residents.
&#8220I'm a homeowner,” said Ferguson, who lives on Long Island and spends each day selling ice cream at Kennedy Airport. &#8220I understand where they're coming from.”
Ferguson has never had a problem honoring noise complaints.
&#8220If someone complains, I cut the music,” he said. But as of July 1, music volume is no longer a matter of respect. It is a matter of law.
Under the city's new noise code, ice cream truck drivers are prohibited from playing their music when stopped. Some drivers feel the law is unnecessary.
&#8220It's a courtesy thing,” said Nick Agostino, a driver for two years. &#8220You don't play your song if you're parked in front of someone's house for 10 minutes, so [the law] won't change much. Just another way for the city to make money.”
&#8220If one person comes out of their house to get ice cream, that means everyone on the block heard the song,” said a driver who goes by ‘Big Mike.' &#8220No need to keep playing it at that point. They don't need a law to tell me that.”
Mike, who has driven the Floral Park route for 10 years, added that &#8220Bloomberg's got thousands of trucks running around with thick, black smoke coming out. I've gotta breathe that. My truck may look like a piece of junk, but it's not affecting anybody's lungs.”
But Bill Cottone, an 11-year Mr. Softee driver, said he agrees with the law - to an extent.
&#8220A fair compromise would have been to let us play it for one rotation [when stopped], then turn it off,” said Cottone, instead of banning the jingle completely.