Carolyn Marvin Arrested Over 15-Minute Robot Blockade in Philadelphia
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 31
Carolyn Marvin Arrested Over 15-Minute Robot Blockade in Philadelphia
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 31
Summary
Philadelphia police cited 78-year-old retired professor Carolyn Marvin for disorderly conduct after she refused orders to stop blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot on Oct. 14.
Marvin said she has repeatedly delayed the sidewalk robots for 10 to 15 minutes as a symbolic protest against job displacement, safety risks, privacy concerns and what she sees as corporate takeover of public space.
A 2020 Pennsylvania law classifies autonomous delivery robots as pedestrians, giving them legal protections on sidewalks and crosswalks, though they are still supposed to yield to human pedestrians.
Uber Eats launched its robot fleet in Philadelphia in March, and Marvin said the arrest has not deterred her from continuing the protest, though she now plans to watch for police.