Retired Professor Arrested for Blocking Delivery Robot in Philadelphia

POLICY WIRE — Philadelphia, USA — A 78-year-old woman, Carolyn Marvin, a retired University of Pennsylvania communications professor, was arrested for obstructing a self-driving delivery robot in Center City, Philadelphia.

The incident occurred on Filbert Street as Marvin returned from a flu shot appointment. She deliberately blocked the robot, an act she has repeated over the past few months to express her concerns about the impact of technology on public spaces.

A crowd eventually formed, and police were summoned following reports of criminal mischief involving the robot. Marvin refused to move, leading to her citation for disorderly conduct. She told CNN, “I was under the impression that I had more rights than the robot did,” adding a laugh.

Interestingly, Pennsylvania law grants delivery robots the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians under Act 106 of 2020. This means that while motorists must yield to them at crosswalks, the robots must also yield to actual pedestrians and cyclists.

Marvin maintains that her protests are benign, stating she only blocks the robots when it is convenient and estimates her actions delay deliveries by about 15 minutes. However, her broader goals include drawing attention to the potential loss of delivery jobs, sidewalk safety, and privacy concerns related to the cameras in the robots.

Marvin, a long-time activist, has previously been involved in protesting civil rights, abortion rights, and wars. She views her current campaign as an extension of her ongoing activism, saying, It’s what we need to do to make sure the government hears the will of the people.

Despite the arrest, Marvin remains committed to her cause. When asked if she plans to continue her protests, she responded, “Oh yeah.” The Independent has reached out to Uber Eats for comment.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)