For the first time since the Fitness and Recreation Center opened, Boston University administrators are threatening to buckle down on ID cheats who sneak in with other people’s cards.

The university issued a stern letter warning students who share their cards that penalties include a $50 fine and suspension from FitRec, possibly indefinitely, depending on how many times they violate the policy.

ID abuse has become a serious problem for FitRec, and administrators have a right to fight it for the sake of students who belong there. BU students who exploit the system and let their friends enter illegally hurt every other member of the gym — whether they know it or not.

Since FitRec’s opening, the staff has kept the facility in pristine condition despite the throngs of college students who pass through it every day. The fact is, the gym is usually packed to the walls, and cheats who sneak in are taking up space and equipment paid for, in part, by BU tuition.

If you think this new policy is harsh, we suggest you ask any student who goes to FitRec during peak hours whether they want people sneaking in.While BU may not be losing revenue when students sneak into the facility, the added students create undue pressure on the hundreds of employees who work tirelessly to keep the facility clean and operational.

Beside the fact that students who slip into the facility unnoticed create overcrowding, outsiders do not share the respect and appreciation BU students hold for the still-new building.

ID cards, when properly used, are also key to the facility’s safety and security. Administrators in charge of Fitrec, which houses hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, need to know who exactly is entering and exiting the building

Ultimately, FitRec was built for us. It is one of the few things that BU students can point to with pride at the university and say, “this is ours.”

Using FitRec is not a right, it is a privilege unique to BU students; let’s keep it that way.