I don't know that this is actually the OP's POV as much as it is your spin on it.
...The "concealed means concealed" part is more likely something along the line of "I know that, since I carry concealed, this most likely would never pose a problem for me, but I'm still interested in obeying the law as long as I have some idea of what it is."
Ken
Bassturd, you ask an interesting question. I think Kens point above nails it for me. You see I have been to these hospitals MANY times while carrying, and it just occurred to me that some of them may in fact be schools. I wanted to insure I did NOT break any law by carrying in what I thought was a legal environment.
For instance, I take my wife to Brigham and Womans. No problem, I've carried there several times. Right across the street is Harvard Medical School. If I walk on their sidewalk am I in violation? Where is the border? If I secure my firearm in my locked trunk in a case, and the Valet parking service parks it across the street on Harvard property, am I a felon?
I don't want to avoid following the law. I was asking the question because I want to follow the law. The "concealed is concealed" comment means I know I can "
get away" with it if I want to, the question is, is it legal. I ALWAYS want to follow the legal course, no matter how archaic the laws can be sometimes. The permit to carry if far too important and valuable to me to risk its loss over some dumb misunderstanding.
I drive disabled Veterans to several area hospitals as well. When I have to go to the VA Hospital, I know I can't carry, and I don't. It just gets really confusing some times.
For instance, Massachusetts considers Pepper Spray as "Ammunition". Rhode Island does not. I carry pepper spray when I go to the Providence VA Hospital and it is not a problem. Half the staff carries it too. If you know Chalkstone Avenue, you know why. There is no Fed law against it. It is not considered a weapon. I also carry my pocket knife. I always carry a pocket knife because I'm so old my teeth won't open potato chip bags and candy bar wrappers any more. I don't even think of it as a weapon, it's my good teeth. I use the knife a dozen times a day for convenience, not defense.
Now say I have to go to the Harvard School of Medicine, or Tufts, and I have my pepper spray on my key chain. Am I in compliance in a hospital school? Probably not.
I ask the question because it just dawned on me that one of the hospitals I go to is Boston Medical center, part of which is called "University Hospital." I spent months there watching my father fade away. I'd be driving home with my Mom late at night many times, going to the parking garage and then out to Mass Ave and Columbus Ave to catch the Pike.
It's funny when all of a sudden you question something you take for granted, but I want to know. I've been carrying for years, and have NEVER been noticed. It's not a question of getting caught, it's a question of doing the right thing.
Those of us who have a license to carry have to hold ourselves to higher standards than the non licensed citizen. Crime statistics show we are far more law abiding than the general population. That doesn't come from "knowing we can get away with it."
Ken, thanks for your answer, and LenS always appreciate your insight. Several others have different opinions, and we'll talk about it some more I bet.
In the meantime I'll try to contact someone at the Hospitals security staff and see if I can get an answer without hiring an attorney each time I need to know.
Thanks for all the replies.
Bill