drone use loosening

No, the real problem comes from one level below the hobbyist. For years there have been responsible hobbyists who have flown their machines with very little if any problems and they knew the rules - previously known as the RC (remote control) group. The problem will come from the new crowd that just spends $500 - $1000 for a "toy", won't follow the rules, and think they are "special".

As a pilot of real planes, the latter scares the he11 out of me.

Dave I stand corrected, there has been a lot of discussion on your point exactly. Even the hobby groups have been vocal about the issue. It used to be that a RC plane took some real skill and was expensive so the only people who got into it were the more responsible RC hobbyist. Now, any Joe(tte) can buy a $50 unmanned craft and haphazardly run amok with it. Unfortunately, as problems arise, the legitimate responsible users will get hung in the media because we're the ones regulated.
I understand your concern. There are a growing number of near-misses and there will be a non-miss at some point. Like the one last week that came darn close.