Ice cream truck turf war

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Nothing says summer like delicious soft serve ice cream but the turf war erupting between Mister Softee and New York Ice Cream Company is not so sweet.

Sergio, who operates a Mister Softee truck, is one of the drivers alleging that drivers from new York Ice Cream, a company operated by former Mister Softee drivers, are intimidating Mister Softee drivers in an effort to control their territory.

"Some vendors, they want to be Mr. Tough Guy.  They think they own the spots," Sergio says.  "They broke the windows, they intimidate.  It's like a war."

And Ahmed, who operates a New York Ice Cream truck, acknowledges that the tactics are real and directed toward any competing ice cream truck who stumbles upon into the wrong route.

"We close them up.  We tell them 'You're closed.'  Sometimes we come with a couple of trucks to make sure they don't sell no ice creams," Ahmed says.

Customers don't seem too bothered by the turf war.  One suggested that free market should decide which trucks stay.

Fox 5 News reached out to both companies, and as of Tuesday evening, had not received a response.