There is a parking lot in a Twin Cities suburb that recently had the lines on the blacktop repainted, including the blue areas that help indicate handicap parking spaces.



But it turns out that these spaces are not legal handicap parking places unless there is a sign "visible from inside a motor vehicle parked in the space" according to Minnesota statute 169.346. The blue paint means nothing without the sign, and the sign means everything ... even without the paint.

The store had moved its handicap parking spaces to a different part of the parking lot, and used the proper signage, but the people who did the painting saw the old blue areas and made them new again.



What I find interesting is that almost no one knows about the law, and therefore no one parks in these spaces. That may change as soon as there is an inch of snow on the ground ... which I'm sure is the reason Minnesota says a handicap spot is not a handicap spot without the proper sign.



The paint does serve a valuable function, though, when used WITH the sign. Handicap spots have to be a lot wider that normal parking places, to allow the deployment of a wheelchair ramp or lift.

WCCO reporter Darcy Pohland uses a wheelchair, and gets to her stories in a station van equipped for her needs. Our photojournalists who work with Darcy know how important it is to have room for that ramp to deploy.

I would never park in a properly signed handicap spot, because it isn't right ... and there is the $200 fine.

I do park in the blue-painted spots at my local store that are not really handicap spots anymore. But I also have a copy of the law in my car to share with anyone who might think that I parked illegally.