E-Scooter riders launch ‘Make Stop Signs Optional’ campaign

Students hope to change discriminatory traffic laws

Tired of disruptions to their commuting flow, electric scooter riders at UC Davis have launched a bold new campaign: “Make Stop Signs Optional.” The campaign aims to change traffic laws that require e-scooters to make full stops at stop signs. Several supporters have already stopped using their brakes entirely.

“Stop signs should be suggestions,” e-scooter activist Adam Scoots, a fourth-year economics major, said. “As an electric scooter commuter, I shouldn’t have to stop because someone put up a red octagon and painted a white line on the ground. It’s a violation of my rider autonomy.”

Many campaigners echoed the sentiment, saying that waiting for vehicles to pass at stop signs was “a form of systemic traffic oppression,” while others cited safety and mental health as their main concerns.

“I feel like stopping actually makes me less safe,” Vector Velocity, a third-year physics major, said. “If I stop, it makes me a target for cars, but if I continue at 15 mph, I become invincible.”

Susan McCruise, a second-year psychology student, blames stop signs for her anxiety.

“Whenever I see something red and octagon-shaped on the street, my heart starts pounding. I shouldn’t have to deal with that,” McCruise said. “I’m really happy I found this movement. I feel better knowing there are other people who hate stop signs as much as I do.”

McCruise is one of over 100 students who have joined the campaign since its launch late February. Most members are e-scooter riders who are frustrated with traffic laws, but some students have joined in solidarity after hearing about the movement’s policy proposals.

The main proposal suggests that stop signs be turned into optional yield signs. If this policy is implemented, riders will not be required to come to a complete stop. Instead, they can decide, based on “vibes,” whether to slow down or speed through an intersection.

Other students, however, are lobbying for more drastic measures, such as removing stop signs entirely.

“It’s discriminatory,” McCruise said. “The sooner these signs are gone, the better.”

To spread the word, campaign manager William Wheelie, a fourth-year political science major, organized rallies and fundraisers around Davis. One bowling-themed fundraiser in Downtown Davis raised almost $700 toward the cause. Attendees had the option to pay a fee to knock pedestrians down on the newly-released “hyperscooters,” special e-scooters designed for extreme speeds.

Velocity recalls bowling a pedestrian down at 50 mph.

“It was invigorating,” Velocity said.

Wheelie looks forward to more fundraisers in the next month. He aims to continue campaigning until tangible changes are made.

“I think this is an extremely important movement, not just for us, but for everyone in Davis,” Wheelie said. “When you stop your scooter, you lose your momentum, and more importantly, you lose your spirit. Ultimately, momentum is a fundamental human right.”

Written by: Jenna Lee — features@theaggie.org