The Slice: It plays the saddest song in the world

Back when Greg Wold was little, his dad told him if the ice cream truck was playing a tune that meant it was out of ice cream.

Considering how you drove as a teen, are you fortunate to be alive: “I’d have to say yes,” said Jim McPherson. “But even more important is the fact that a lot of kids who chose to ride with me were equally lucky. And we couldn’t even talk on the phone or text while driving.”

Dick Wandling said he might be the most conservative driver on the road these days. “However, things were different when I was in high school. The way that I drove was proof that guardian angels really do exist. … Hopefully my son will have better judgment when he gets his license next year.”

In praise of outdoor clotheslines: “They hold way more than a dryer,” wrote Susan Bates-Harbuck. “There’s nothing to compare to slipping in between sun-dried sheets at bedtime. Some things dry faster than they do in the dryer. They are quiet. The towels do come out scratchier, but I think they dry you better that way. They obviously save money on the light bill. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. You can use rain as an excuse not to do the laundry. You get to spend time outside listening to the birds. OK, that leads to the one disadvantage, at least if you have your clothesline too close to the bird feeder. They tend to think of it as stadium seating.”

Surprise appearance: When Gen Fiorino’s son would return from a Cub Scout campout, she would empty his backpack right by the washer. One time, a sweatshirt fell on the floor. “As I reached to put it in the washer, I came face to face with a praying mantis sitting on top of the dirty pile of clothes. I’m not sure who was more surprised. I hope the mantis survived in my backyard so far from the wheat fields from which he came.”

Warm-up question: Has your spouse/significant other suggested that some of your go-to dinner party banter needs to be retired?

Today’s Slice question: Are blind dates – the source of many entertaining stories – soon to be a thing of the past?