If you like long walks from the Creamery with melting ice cream or always carrying quarters just to grab a milkshake, it’s your lucky day.

The Centre Daily Times reported today that the days of throwing your flashers on and running into the Creamery are in the past. According to alum Thom Kupchinsky and confirmed to the CDT by Director of Transportation Services Rob DeMayo, spots by the Creamery will now charge patrons to park in the East Deck, just like essentially every other space in Happy Valley.

The CDT found out about the change when Kupchinsky went to the parking office to renew his pass, at which point he was informed that new parking passes are coming for Penn State parkers and that, oh yeah, you’re going to have to pay if you want to run into the Creamery.

The spots are going to be priced like parking meters downtown — $0.25 per 15 minutes. Perhaps not the priciest parking but there’s no reason we should have to pay to run into the Creamery for 10 or 20 minutes. According to DeMayo, however, Penn State parking has a long list of finances that charging for Creamery parking might really put a dent in.

“The 24/7 operation and maintenance of our parking facilities is a costly endeavor that must be recouped through user fees,” DeMayo told the CDT. “Our need to park more visitors every year, as well as provide parking for faculty, staff, and students at some locations means that some restrictions must be applied in these areas to ensure adequate parking is available.”

This comes just one week after Penn State announced that it will charge non-season ticket holders to park for the Blue-White game, a $20-per car profit that the university apparently cannot live without.

Parking on campus is limited, which certainly helps beautify the campus and keep vehicles away, but the Berkey Creamery is nationally-renowned and anyone who visits Penn State wants to stop to try a scoop of the famous ice cream and other products. By cracking down on parking the university is hindering not only long-standing tradition and disregarding loyal customers, but also discouraging newbies from getting a taste of Penn State when they visit campus.

Suggestion: Park at the Arboretum and walk, it’s only about twice as far as the East Parking Deck is anyway and it’s free. Don’t stop going to the Creamery, but don’t pay Penn State to let you.