World · North America · 2 hrs ago
Philadelphia woman arrested after blocking Uber Eats delivery robot
Carolyn Marvin was arrested in Philadelphia after standing in front of an Uber Eats food delivery robot and blocking it from reaching its destination.
Police arrested the 78-year-old on Wednesday after she refused instructions to move, and issued her a criminal violation notice.
Marvin says she is protesting robot couriers because she believes they are taking jobs from human delivery workers.
She also said she sees the protest as her right to demonstrate on a sidewalk.
Uber Eats robots operated by Avride arrived in Philadelphia in March, and similar couriers work in at least 10 US metropolitan areas through delivery platform partnerships.
The spread of these machines matters because they could reduce delivery companies’ labour costs and affect human workers.
Marvin said she plans to keep protesting, even after her arrest.
Philadelphia police arrested Carolyn Marvin, 78, after she allegedly blocked an Uber Eats delivery robot on Filbert Street.
Marvin said she was protesting robots because they take jobs from human delivery workers.
She was arrested for disorderly conduct after refusing police directions to step aside.
Police issued Marvin a criminal violation notice.
Marvin said she planned to continue protesting the robots.
- Who
- Carolyn Marvin, a 78-year-old University of Pennsylvania professor emeritus.
- What
- She was arrested after allegedly blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot and refusing police directions to step aside.
- When
- Around 1.16pm on a Wednesday; the article does not give the date.
- Where
- The 1200 block of Filbert Street in Philadelphia, near Reading Terminal Market.
- Why
- Marvin said she was protesting delivery robots because they take jobs from human delivery workers.
Carolyn Marvin
Critics of blocking the robots
Reason for the protest
Carolyn Marvin
Marvin said delivery robots take jobs from human delivery workers.
Critics of blocking the robots
Some people said blocking the robots was unfair to customers who had paid for food delivery.
Uber Eats delivery robots operated through Avride arrived in Philadelphia.
Marvin allegedly blocked a robot on the 1200 block of Filbert Street and was arrested after refusing police directions to step aside.
The Philadelphia Police Department told the Daily Mail that Marvin had been issued a criminal violation notice.
- Age
- 78
- Location
- 1200 block of Filbert Street, Philadelphia
- Time of arrest
- Around 1.16pm on Wednesday
- Charge
- Disorderly conduct
- Robot operator
- Avride
- Philadelphia launch
- March
1 source
What people are saying
I know they're taking the jobs of human delivery workers and so, I have been protesting them whenever I saw them by standing in front of them and preventing them from going forward,
I think it's my First Amendment right to publicly demonstrate on a sidewalk to protest against delivery robots.
I actually thought the robot hit her, so my original question was, "Are you okay? Did the robot hit you?