Salem's Widely Ignored Stop Sign Becomes Internet Twitch Star

SALEM, MA — Salem's newest famous resident is a stop sign that doesn't get much respect.

The stop sign has its own Twitch channel, a dedicated camera and nearly 150,000 fans. What makes it famous, though, is how few people actually come to a complete stop.

The gaming website Kokatu this week featured the Twitch channel Stopsigncam where subscribers spend minutes — and sometimes hours — marveling at how drivers zoom through, roll past, tap the breaks in front of oncoming traffic, and mostly do everything but come to a sustained halt at the sign.

The channel apparently existed in relative anonymity until gamer JhbTeam, who has his own YouTube channel and 156,000 Twitter followers, promoted it on his Twitter account and made a TikTok about the stop sign that got more than a half-million likes.

https://t.co/zYDyzSYzGq My friend found this stream which is just some guy livestreaming outside his window in Salem. His intersection stop sign gets run constantly, so he's streaming the whole thing all day. It's great entertainment
— clare (@clearmurky) March 22, 2021

JhbTeam told Kokatu that the channel had about 400 followers before his promotion sent the subscriber base soaring. While some stream fans have taken to performing antics at the intersection, the moderators and most contributors have opted not to identify exactly where it is in the city out of concern that will ruin the fun.

Kokatu said the channel has between 1,000 and 3,000 viewers at any one time. Subscribers banter in the comments portion of the channel about whether the next car will fly right through the sign or at least give the appearance of slowing down — then debate the verdict on each pass, while newcomers comment on their amazement at the audacity of the Salem drivers.

I can’t stop watching this stream. The entertainment from watching cars refusing to stop is insane https://t.co/hAC3UhXqvV
— KiwiKadota (@KiwiKadota) March 22, 2021

According to Massachusetts General Law: "Except when directed to proceed by a police officer, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign or a flashing red signal indication shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering it.

"After having stopped, the driver shall yield the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such driver is moving across or within the intersection or junction of roadways."

It is recommended that drivers stop for at least three full seconds.

Sounds like some people in Salem are in need of a driver's education refresher course.

Someone set up a camera by this stop sign in Salem that no one stops at and there’s a pretty big following on Twitch. Currently enjoying an ice cream and watching people blow through this stop sign. https://t.co/3LG0IksWX1
— Vicki Z. (@VtotheICKI) March 23, 2021

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)