Q I ride my bicycle to work downtown and park it at the bike stanchions on the sidewalk on Hennepin Avenue. Lately I've encountered a lot of motor scooters parked on the sidewalk, taking up scarce bicycle parking spots. Is this legal?
A It depends on the size of the scooter, said assistant city attorney Timothy Skarda. Basically, those with motors 50 cubic centimeters (cc) or under can be parked on sidewalks, those larger than 50 ccs cannot be.
Here's how it works:
Under state law, motorcycles and motor scooters, generally, cannot be parked on sidewalks, including at sidewalk bicycle racks. A motor bike, however, can be. A motor bike, as defined by Minnesota statute, is "a bicycle that is propelled by an electric or a liquid fuel motor of a piston displacement capacity of 50 cubic centimeters or less, and a maximum of two brake horsepower, which is capable of a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on a flat surface with not more than 1 percent grade in any direction when the motor is engaged."
The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances specifically allows the attachment of motorized bicycles to bike racks.
Bank refuses coins Q My late wife and I kept Eisenhower dollar coins as a way of saving money, and I have about 50 of them. I went to my bank to cash them in, but they wouldn't take them. They said that the Federal Reserve will no longer accept them and they are considered collectible only and are no longer legal tender. Is that true? How can the government issue money and then decide not to accept it as money? What do I do now?
A It is not true. Eisenhower dollars are legal tender and accepted by Federal Reserve Banks, said Patti Lorenzen, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. So you can take the coins back to your bank and demand that they accept them, but you may not want to.
An Eisenhower dollar from the 1970s, uncirculated, can be worth $6 to $8 (circulated ones are worth up to $1.50). Value varies depending on the coin and its condition. Look up values in coin books such as the U.S. Coins "Red Book," available at libraries and bookstores. Or take the dollars to a coin dealer for appraisal and sale, if you wish.
