Flying Carpets

It wasn't so long ago that I was grousing about the complete lack of flying cars in today's society. And robots, death rays, and airships, etc.. Eggheads promised us flying cars by now, and so far I'm stuck on the ground like a chump.
   But then I got to thinking. Flying cars probably aren't the most practical thing, since they're still as big as a car, and they would probably need a runway to take off. And as much as I don't trust the functional illiterates on the roads now, I'd trust them even less in the sky. So no flying cars.
   Ah... but flying carpets, that's a different matter.
   With a flying carpet you could just float up to cruising altitude, you wouldn't need a runway. You probably wouldn't need a license, either. No complicated dials or controls, you just point your carpet in the direction you want to go, and - bam! - you're there. It's magic. It would be refreshing, like a run in the mountains, wind in your face, hair flying back. And since you're not enclosed in a metal cage, you'd probably be much more courteous to your fellow carpet-flyers; kind of awkward to use your driving finger when there's nothing between you and them. The fashion-conscious could even wear Arab silks and curly-toed shoes, if that's what they really wanted. Secretly. Because it made them feel pretty.
   Of course, with a flying carpet you'd be like a motorcycle rider, getting bugs in your teeth. And if it rained you'd get wet. Unless you had a magic umbrella. The FAA would probably want in on the act, and 'approve' the carpets for US airspace. And the State would probably charge you an arm and a leg for registration. And there'd be some sort of tax on magic to make up for the fact that flying carpets don't use gasoline. They'd probably make you put a license plate on your carpet too, which would completely ruin the aesthetics of the whole thing.
   Why does everything always get bogged down in bureaucracy?