Noisy, dangerous, intrusive. Invading people's space. Technology run amok.
Yep, those darn automobiles were "contemptible soul-destroying and devitalizing pursuits...." The noise was like "a regiment of soldiers" who "had begun to suffer simultaneously from flatulence." So wrote influential British broadcaster E. M. Joad in the 1930's.
The car haters had a good point. Before the establishment of roads and rules and practical purposes, autos spewed noxious vapors, kicked up dust, killed animals and even people. They invaded people's space and scared the horses. An expensive obnoxious "show off" toy.
In fact, if Mr. Joad had managed to ban cars, tens of millions of people would not have died in automobile accidents (The World Health Organizations reports well over a millions deaths a year globally).
Now California politicians are considering a ban on another new, revolutionary but disrupting technology: The dreaded "drone."
My Personal Story
My family gave me a surprise gift last December, which the box described as a "flying camera."
It is an almost magical x-shaped device, about 18 inches in diameter, with four propellers on the ends and a high quality wide-angle camera attached below. For photographer, journalists, geologists, agronomists and anyone who envies birds, it is a powerful (and now inexpensive) tool.
Courtesy Lino Shmid
It also happens to be a unique challenge and an exhilarating joy to operate. Yet it evokes a visceral hostility usually associated with flying insects, "peeping toms" and entitled jerks. (It is remarkably appropriate that the gender-specific acronym for these devices is UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. For whatever the reason, my quadcopter flights attract mostly male curiosity. There's no denying that it tends to be a "boy toy.")
In Praise of "Drones"
I am writing this from Africa, where I am working pro bono on an agriculture video to benefit smallholder farmers' livelihoods. My flying camera has created some amazing shots (And I'm just a beginner).
Elsewhere in the developing world, quadcopters are already delivering life-saving medicine, beneffiting small farmers practices and protecting wildlife. After the Nepal earthquake, the Red Cross reported that drones are among the most promising technologies in disaster relief. Mike Elgan at Computerworld has done an excellent job of comparing the publicized risks vs. the unrealized benefits.
But I understand the "drone" haters of today (or the car haters of the 1920's). In fact, most of my friends (and neighbors!) may agree with California's proposed law banning uninvited flights over private property.
They are not Luddites (well, not most of them). Quadcopters do have all the PR pizzaz of a noisy spy satellite run by Russian hackers. They are kind of creepy, though the privacy risks are trivial compared to a GoPro, a spy satellite or your teenage neighbor's binoculars. And, yes, close-up, the sound is annoying (though at about 20 feet they are said to be no louder than a conversation).
Perhaps worst of all, they are mistakenly associated with massive military "drones," killer airplanes that rain death by remote control. 
(It is true that a terrorist may someday figure out how to weaponize a drone instead of car, a private plane or a semi-automatic weapon (none of which have been banned yet). And, yes, some flyers are being irresponsible and inconsiderate. You may feel the same about the Google "street view car" or your neighbor whose dog barks all day long. PLEASE don't ban dogs. )
My Defense of "Drones"
Here's my plea for patience and understanding.
This is brand new technology. The early automobile developed during a period without sufficient roads, training or licensing. They were operated by the chauffeurs of the wealthy or the equivalent of today's geeky hobbyists. I'll let you fully consider the consequences if cars had been banned back then.
Unlike the early automobile, today's technology will ensure much tighter control and monitoring of what really could be technology run amok. For example, my quadcopter's software already prevents me from flying anywhere near airports, the Japanese Imperial Palace or the city of Washington, DC. This "geofencing" will continue to expand.
Meanwhile, to help you handle this inevitable new technology, here are the obligatory "Top Four" predictions about "drones" (all subject to change as technology progresses):
- All air traffic (including quadcopters) will be required to carry sensor/transponders. You should be able to track whose quadcopter is "spying" on you. They should be able to prove that they never came near enough to disturb your peace or snap your pictures.
For now I promise not to fly over my neighbors' houses or peek in their yards. I will respect privacy. I will battle the lunatic fringe that claims the right to fly (or drive or shoot) anywhere, anytime.
I would like to continue enjoying my piloting and "quadcoptrophy" wherever it is welcome. I hope my friends and neighbors will accept my responsible flying as much as I respect their peace and privacy.