Why the rise of ‘modus non grata’ could lead to a dystopian future—and what cities can do to avoid it

Driverless cars, e-scooters, and cruise ships have become targets for people’s rage. But they’re really emblematic of bigger problems in today’s cities.

Los Angelinos hurling e-scooters into the ocean. Residents of San Francisco and Chandler, Arizona sabotaging driverless cars. Barcelonians squirting cruise ship passengers with water pistols. Borrowing from the Latin term persona non grata for labeling an unwelcome person, modus non grata describes when modes of transport are similarly ostracized and made into proxies in conflicts about the futures of cities.