I had my wife get her permit for same reasons as OP has concerns about. I took the class with her as my renewal, and the instructor brought up a decent point that I've been pondering to date -
Subd. 1a.Permit required; penalty. A person, other than a peace officer, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, who carries, holds, or possesses a pistol in a motor vehicle, snowmobile, or boat, or on or about the person's clothes or the person, or otherwise in possession or control in a public place, as defined in section 624.7181, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), without first having obtained a permit to carry the pistol is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. A person who is convicted a second or subsequent time is guilty of a felony.
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"on or about the person's clothes or the person" - My interpretation: I'm good if it's on me, or near me. I believe 'or about the person' indicates within a reasonable reach though can't find the legal context. So if you, as a permit holder, have a loaded (by definition of the law) pistol stowed somewhere in the back of your vehicle and not actually 'about the person', you're in violation.
Now taking that thought process a little further: I placed my loaded pistol in the lock box under the seat of my car in the parking lot at my place of work. Exit the vehicle, go into the office. It is no longer on or about my person, or necessarily in my control at that point. Have I broken the law?
One of the buildings I frequent has had workplace safety meetings conducted with the assistance of MN State Troopers, and while employees are prohibited from carrying on premise, it has actually been recommended by the state trooper doing the training for permit holders to do exactly as described above - lock the loaded pistol in the vehicle. It was specifically recommended not fumble around with unloading to reduce the possibility of other employees being concerned with a person playing with a gun in their vehicle.
Didn't mean to de-rail, but thought it relevant to the discussion. I was honestly never too concerned when my non-permit wife would take my vehicle with a locked up pistol under the seat - as rare as it was. Coincidentally enough now that she has her permit, I never leave it locked in the vehicle as I've come to terms that it's at more risk to be stolen than we ever were of being victim to some kind of legal technicality.