We "figured it out as a society" by sacrificing 40,000 people/year on the altar of the automobile, paving huge portions of our most valuable real estate, and adding car debt as a necessity for our under-class to function in society.
Maybe we'll be smart enough next time to think through the costs of our revolutions.
We've become significantly more risk-averse as a society though. If cars were invented today, it seems extremely unlikely that the intimate mixing of pedestrian and vehicle realms would be tolerated in the way it is now. We generally only accept dangerous transportation, structures and substances if they are a legacy from an earlier age. And even then you see high pressure to reduce or eliminate them, e.g. cigarettes.
No, we haven't. The more civilized among us, like the Dutch, have gotten rid of them as much as they can, and other places promote public transport too.
I actually just bought one last weekend. Haven't flow it yet, so I suppose I'll find out very soon!
I believe you that they're crazy loud, but I think the technology will improve and we'll figure out regulation, fly zones, etc.
Of course, this is all predicated on us agreeing as a society that we want this thing integrated into our communities. This want is unclear and I think that's the meat of the point you were making which is a fair one.
They are not able to be heard (at least in a common city setting) above 100ft or so, in my experience. Maybe less.
I imagine any drone network would fly at a couple hundred feet for most of the journey, and only be a "nuisance" for the period of time it has to descend straight down to the delivery point.