There has been some bad press lately surrounding lawsuits filed on behalf of handicapped persons against businesses that allegedly fail to meet the standards dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Some of these so-called "drive-by" lawsuits have been characterized as nothing more than naked money grabs, legal filings in bad faith by attorneys interested more in the financial outcome than in addressing the perceived ADA deficiency (as suggested in a "60 Minutes" report a few weeks ago).

While this may be true, it does not lessen the importance of safe and reliable access, ingress and egress for all citizens. This need was dramatized by my recent experience in downtown Minneapolis.

At noon on a December Sunday, I decided to wander down to U.S. Bank Stadium in the skyway to engage in the Vikings' pregame spectacle. I live in a downtown condo, and walking to the stadium through the skyway wearing only a light sweater on a day when the expected high temperature was to be below zero was a novelty.

The first obstacle was a locked skyway door heading east into the Wells Fargo Data Center. Two intercom requests to the security guard resulted in abrupt disconnections. It was high noon. A gentleman in a wheelchair type scooter wearing a Vikings jersey waited with me, then another scooter user joined us. After a 15-minute wait we decided to go to the stadium via the longer alternate skyway route. I took the lead, the two rolling scooters followed.

Vikings Jersey caught up to me and said that if I got him to the Vikings game I could have his extra ticket. "They're really good seats," he said.

Excellent! The day was getting better.

We took a hard left at the Government Center and walked/rolled outside for a block or so where the route crosses the open-air Government Center Ramp on the skyway level. Ya, we were wearing only light tops and it was double-digits below, but we are hearty Minnesotans, are we not?

Our optimism was short-lived as we soon discovered that the elevator lift to be used as an alternate to the steep staircase at the north end of what I think is the Public Safety Building was out of order. The second wheelchair scooter guy bailed at the sight of this disappointment. Not so with me and Vikings Jersey.

We hatched a plan to bypass the skyway blockade, necessitating a 2.5-city-block outdoor walk/roll in frigid temps. We proceeded thusly only to be stymied by an unshoveled curb cut at a corner. Vikings Jersey couldn't navigate the snow using his scooter; I couldn't push him through it.

Imagine our disappointment and incredulity. We literally could see the entrance to the skyway just across the street. Warmth and the Vikings were waiting. We just sort of looked at each other through clouds of frozen breath. No decision to be made, we went mobile again. This time our path was blocked by a sheriff's car stopped to gain entrance to the Public Safety Building. Another delay in the cold, another indignity waiting for the car to be moved. I spied an alternate route that would have been about the same distance as going back to where we started. No, Vikings Jersey (with no jacket, hat or gloves) was too cold, and we had no margin for error in the event our track record continued.

Well, back on the skyway, maybe the original Wells Fargo Data Center door would be open by this time. Vikings Jersey volunteered that it was open after a recent Vikings game. We walked/rolled all the way back, including another jaunt through the open-air parking garage.

Nope, door still locked. Aha, the security guard answered the intercom and said he would unlock the door. Sweet! But, he soon called us back and announced that we were not authorized and that he would not unlock the door. Not so sweet.

More incredulity, more disappointment. We had gotten so close, so many times, only to ultimately fail.

This was the last straw for Vikings Jersey. It was toward the end of the second quarter, and he was going to watch the game on TV. Was I still interested in attending the game? I was, and bought his two tickets (but only used one) for not much money.

What struck me most about the whole experience was the grace and poise that Vikings Jersey exhibited throughout the ordeal. There was no blame, no outward show of frustration or rage, no rant, no recriminations. At the discovery of each obstacle only resigned silence, and at the end just a sort of silent sadness I won't soon forget.

My point isn't to place blame. Sidewalks can't be cleaned of every ounce of snow; mechanical things break down; doors remain locked or unavailable due to policy, miscommunication, mistake, whatever.

My point is that ADA regulations are designed to meet a real need — a need that, when unfulfilled, can result in the deprivation of rights that most take for granted.

By the way, Vikings Jersey, you were right. The seats were great.

Kurt D. Larson lives in Minneapolis.