Technology

Retired Professor Arrested for Blocking Delivery Robots, Says She Will Continue Protest

By Poulomi Ghosh

A 78‑year‑old retired communications professor from the University of Pennsylvania, Carolyn Marvin, was arrested on October 14 after she repeatedly blocked autonomous delivery robots on Philadelphia’s sidewalks. Marvin said she has been stopping the small wheeled machines since they began operating in the city and that she believes she has more rights than the robots. She was returning home after a flu shot when she encountered a delivery robot, holding a jar of enchilada sauce and chicken biryani takeout, and stood in front of it. A crowd gathered, some supporting her and others criticizing her. Police were called, and officers found her refusing to allow the robot to pass. They issued her a citation for disorderly conduct, handcuffed her, and placed her in a police vehicle. Marvin said she never expected to be arrested because she thought she was not impeding a person, only a machine. She described her actions as a symbolic protest against delivery robots, citing concerns about displacement of low‑income delivery workers, physical risks to sidewalk users, and privacy issues from built‑in cameras. She also said she believes she has a First Amendment right to protest corporate abuses in public space. Marvin has a history of civil‑rights activism, including support for Black Lives Matter and opposition to the Gulf and Vietnam wars. She said her protest has had limited impact on customers, with an office worker’s lunch potentially delayed by about 15 minutes. She plans to block robots for 10 or 15 minutes when convenient. After her arrest, Marvin learned that Pennsylvania’s 2020 law classifies autonomous delivery robots as pedestrians, requiring vehicles to yield to them at crosswalks, while the robots must yield to people and cyclists in pedestrian areas. Uber Eats launched its autonomous delivery robot fleet in Philadelphia in March. Marvin views the growing presence of delivery robots as part of a broader trend of technology encroaching on everyday spaces and says her protest makes the issue visible. When asked if she would resume blocking robots, she replied, “Oh yeah,” adding she would keep an eye out for the police.}