From my layman's perspective, I've viewed the potential advent of flying cars in much the same way as I do...oh, say affordable, easily-obtained high-powered lasers...maybe not such a great idea.

If my Neon stalls on the roadway, I roll to a stop. But if my flying car loses power at 500 ft while cruisng at 300mph...well, you do the math. I just pity the poor shmuck who'd have to clean up whatever was left of me.

This isn't to say the technology should never be offered to people who are willing to acquire the skills and to dedicate themselves to using such a vehicle safely...basically, someone willing to become a genuine, honest-to-goodness pilot. For the most part, imho, that isn't John Q Public.