Hand held VHF and land transmission

[rsn48]

I have been taught in my radio course that hand held VHF can't be used on land. Now I can see this law making sense if you are permanently transmitting from land, but if I go in the Dink to the little town by the pier, surely people have contacted the boat with their hand held to verify how many eggs to buy, etc.

Is this law right up there with the "show the cone" when you are motoring and sailing?