PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A retired Penn professor was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and issued a citation for blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot from completing its order.
For Dr. Carolyn Marvin, a former communications professor at Penn, it wasn’t the first time she’s impeded a robot delivery.
“People ask me a lot why I’m doing it, and it allows me to engage them in a conversation about what’s going on with these robots,” said Marvin.
She said it’s not something she’s written down or thought methodically about, but whenever Marvin sees a delivery robot on her daily walks — and she has the time — she’ll stand in front of them.
“I believe I’m exercising my First Amendment rights as a citizen to protest in public space on a public sidewalk,” said Marvin.
But what is she protesting?
“The ruthless way that rich corporations are casting aside human workers — and here, we’re talking about the humble delivery folks — in order to enrich their bottom lines,” said Marvin.
Her protest on Oct. 14 drew a crowd just a block from Reading Terminal Market on Filbert Street.
“There were two groups. One was on my side, and one wasn’t,” said Marvin. “It’s not about being on my side. It’s about the issues of the workers that these corporations are replacing.”
Someone also called law enforcement.
“The police came out, and they decided to side with the people that think I shouldn’t be standing in the way of the robots,” said Marvin.
She was handcuffed, taken to police headquarters, and then released with a citation for disorderly conduct.
Marvin plans to fight the ticket in court, and said she will not stop blocking delivery robots when she has the time. She also asked others who are uncomfortable with the robots to block them with her.
“When I see a robot, and I have enough time, I’ll probably do the same thing,” said Marvin. “I think if there’s enough pushback to these corporations, they might stop using them. And that would be fine with me.”
