I actually bought a Giant a few years ago. Set it up in my living room. Stared at it. It stared back at me. I decided I would have no use for it, and returned it. Now I have a use for it, and have wireless tethering working ... sort-of. So I think I can give it a real world try. Of course, setting one up on a sidewalk would require traffic cones.
The very first MFDB I ever saw in the wild was a Sinar mounted on some monstrously tall (I want to say 15 foot) tripod with the legs almost closed (3 feet apart?), leaning against a building. It was across the street from the Gehry IAC building, so I guess he was an architectural photog waiting for the light - it was around sunset. He was just standing next to this precarious rig doing nothing.