Are The Sweet Days Of Ice Cream Trucks Almost Over?

Is there any more magical a sight than an ice cream truck on a hot day?

Whether you're a soft serve, milkshake or popsicle person, who doesn't have a soft spot for Mister Softee?

But driving that truck and scooping those scoops is turning into a thankless, moneyless position. As reported by The NY Times, the rising cost of gas, ice cream and even sprinkles is pushing most out of the industry in a trend that will likely make ice cream trucks an archaic image in just a few years. With a heavier overhead and a shrinking customer base, item prices have of course had to increase - with some cones (including all the requisite add-ons and sauces) reaching $8.

Now of course a hipster ice cream place like Van Leeuwen would laugh at those prices seeing as three scoops sans toppings there will run you $10.45, but alas, it seems the general pedestrian isn't as happy to spend nearly that amount at a mission-statement-less mobile establishment.

Call me a milkshake loving socialist, but if the government can subsidize Amtrak because access to transportation is of such interest to the public, the city of New York can pony up a very very small percentage of its budget to keep ice cream trucks on the street, no?

[Photo via @raysbarnyc]