Ever since I got mine (ver.1) around 2007, I've been using it religiously before every shoot.
It yields great results and in contrast with what others have mentioned about using color cards instead, its main intent has always been color consistency for speeding up post-processing - both of which were also the main selling points by its creators.
I think if you get one, you'll like the results.

I know exactly where you're coming from and what your "rig" looked like, as back then in Europe it had an actual name " a photo-sniper" -- for the reasons you described in your funny story.
Remember when I was still a little boy, I went a few times to a sporting goods store with my father, (where they were also selling photo equipment) and where he was eyeing that 'photo-sniper' -- with a pistol grip, rifle-type stock and a huge lens attached. :)

Heard a story, how many years ago, around late 70's, in some Eastern-European country one police officer, being as part of a larger group, was assigned to monitor and patrol a highway, so that a presidential cortège with some foreign leaders visiting that country could pass through to their destination without a hitch.
As the procession was almost passing him by, for whatever stupid reason and/or out of curiosity, at the very last moment he decided to clock the speed they were driving at. So, he pulled out his radar and pointed at them. That was the very last thing that he did in his life...