Kilrah,
What do you mean by "public" side? I am one that would like to have a setting higher than 500m and would still maintain the USA legal 400 feet when flying near certain higher cliffs, mountains, etc.
No crashes. First time flyer this past March. Taught myself to fly quad copters with a $125 toy I got for Christmas. Landed it on the house, in a tree, but became a much better stick and rudder pilot along the way.