US News

‘STOP!’ THEY ALL SCREAM

It’s a jingle out there.

Williamsburg and Greenpoint residents say they’re being driven mad by Mister Softee trucks that continuously circle McCarren Park blaring their annoying tune nonstop.

Some are so furious, they’ve been hanging protest signs and forming an online group to document their 311 complaints.

“It’s the most distracting thing on earth,” said Serena Blanchard, a member of the Williamsburg-based opposition group.

The 29-year-old law student, who lives next to the park, says she’s called cops and the city’s 311 hotline over two dozen times but to no avail. She says the noise is so loud, she’s forced to study for her bar exam wearing headphones.

Daniel Rosentreter, 36, moved to Williamsburg three months ago. When he’s not on the phone with 311 — he’s made 20 complaints — he’s posting signs that say, “Stop DaDi DaDi DiDi Da . . . Let’s take back McCarren Park from the ice-cream vendors.”

The city’s tough noise ordinance instituted last year prevents ice-cream trucks from playing their music while idle.

But residents say the vendors are skirting the law by repeatedly circling the park and making only brief stops.

“We hate that three guys driving ice-cream trucks making profits from people in the neighborhood can terrorize everybody with their jingle 12 hours a day,” Rosentreter said.

“These guys are not your nice ice-cream vendors from next door; they are young, rude and ruthless.”

He said one trucker threatened to beat him up if he didn’t stop complaining.

John Cicero, 34, who drives a Mister Softee knockoff truck around the hipster ‘hood, said residents had better “get used to it.”

“Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but this is how we make our living,” Cicero said.

Mercedes Padilla, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, which monitors noise regulations, said the agency has received numerous complaints about the ice-cream trucks and routinely sends inspectors to the park to check them out.

She said one trucker was recently hit with a $350 fine as a first-time offender.

Others, however, are soft on Mister Softee.

A blogger who calls herself Miss Heather speculates the ice-cream protest group is made up of newbies who bought swanky condos, and said, “The 94th Precinct (understaffed as it is) has better things to do than chase ice cream trucks. Get over it.”

rich.calder@nypost.com