Ice cream man has to abide by some strict rules when it comes to playing his jingle
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Rahman Iqbal, also known as Ray from Ray's Whippy, has been working as an ice cream van driver for many years now and, along the way, he's picked up some pretty interesting stories from the trade.
Opening up about the bizarre encounters he's had throughout his career, Rahman has truly given us the inside scoop. Check him out in action here:
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Rahman first got into the ice cream van driving industry because it was a 'family business' for him and his brothers.
A former DPD delivery driver, Rahman explained that he made the choice to switch up his career because he quite fancied a lie-in.
He revealed: "I used to hate waking up in the AM."
Us too, Rahman, us too.
Now a whole lot happier in his current profession, which is pretty much driving around in joy on wheels, the ice cream man told us the best part of the job for him and - heads up - it's not what you'd expect.
While many would think the greatest part of the gig would be becoming a core memory in a whole community's childhoods, being the reason for dozens of smiles or even just having access to an unlimited amount of Mr Whippy - it's clear that, for Rahman, he has a totally different favourite reason for coming to work.
"I think the best part is when I put my chime/music on and you see all the dogs going crazy because they also love a little ice cream," he revealed.
While admitting that 'every job has its flaws', Rahman went on to explain how weather-dependent his career is.
Talking about the worst part of his work, he said it 'must be the rain, because its depressing and sunshine makes you smile'.
And the qualms don't stop there.
When it comes to dealing with the public, Rahman also has some issues with how certain customers treat his merchandise.
He joked about the annoyance of the 'kids come to my van with their bikes' because they can 'scratch my paint on my van'.
Considering how much work Rahman has put into his iconic bright yellow 'Ray's Whippy' truck - his minor frustration seems more than fair enough.
But, on the whole, Rahman loves his customer base and even attributes a lot of his own personality to being the right fit for the role.
"You have to be patient, kind, have good communication skills and be funny," he explained.
However, while there are clearly some great perks to the job, Rahman has warned against other prospective ice cream aficionados from joining the trade.
He said: "With everything that's going up and the cost of living I think you should look into something a bit more... something that you can count on to pay the bills."
Rahman said he 'can't say exactly' how much he earns on the job 'because it varies everyday'.
From the weather to people leaving the area to go on holiday, the ice cream man noted that business has been 'getting worse' over the 'last two years'.
So, if weather has an affect on frosty treat sales, many of us have been left wondering why ice cream van drivers even bother to drive about in the winter months.
And to that question, Rahman simply stated: "Because, c'mon, everyone loves ice cream and desserts."
He makes a good point.
Luckily though, for Rahman, he's able to make a living out of driving an ice cream van 'thanks to [his] brother' who has been doing it now for 'nearly 10 years'.
After some years on the job now, Rahman definitely had a few stories up his sleeve.
When talking about whether he ever changes his van's jingle, Rahman revealed just how touchy some customers get about the music he blasts from the vehicle's speakers.
"I tried once and my customers wanted the old one back because it brings back their childhood memories," he revealed.
And the jingle regulations don't stop there.
Rahman explains that there are 'rules for everything' he does, outlining that drivers are not allowed to play their catchy jingle tune 'before 12pm and after 8pm'.
Getting into the serious stuff, we asked Rahman how on earth he practises self-restraint when it comes to not guzzling down his own stash.
He confirmed that he never eats the ice cream himself when he's 'on the job' but added that his 'kids love it'.
Well, that's no surprise.
While many of us would have just assumed that the most common ice cream order would be a Flake 99 or at least a twin cone situation - complete with copious amounts of sauce and sprinkles - Rahman disclosed the unlikely most popular candidate.
"Our sundaes," he replied, "because you don't expect it from a normal ice cream van."
You sure don't.
And, lastly, we needed to know what the most annoying ice cream was to make and, without hesitation, Rahman told us it was categorically the 'Oysters' - the wafer shells filled with soft serve ice cream.
So maybe just opt for a cone the next time you get a hankering...
You can follow Rahman and his Ray's Whippy antics on TikTok.
Featured Image Credit: Courtesy of Rahman Iqbal
Topics: Food And Drink, Money, UK News, Business
