For many years,my town bike was an early incarnation of what has become tall bikes. It started out as a regular bike. The handlebars/forks were flipped (and then the bike was flipped) so that the cranks were now on the top. An elongated seat tube was welded onto what was previously the bottom of the bottom bracket, now the top, and a handlebar extension was welded on to allow for a normal riding position in spite of the cranks being above the wheels. It was a three-speed with the shifter lever under the saddle and had wire baskets. The entire bike, extensions and all, came out of a dumpster.
While it was indeed heavy, cross winds presented no problems and it was definitely the safest bike I ever rode; being noticed makes for safe passes. I wouldn't hesitate to tour on one. It would probably cause more conversations to start than riding a tandem with the woman up front, which is one of the ways I roll. As an added benefit, there is no need to lock it up since most people are afraid to try to ride it.