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Retired Penn professor arrested for blocking Uber Eats robot
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Carolyn Marvin, 78, a University of Pennsylvania professor emeritus, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot in Center City Philadelphia. She had been leaving a flu shot appointment when she saw the robot on the sidewalk. Police said they responded at 1:16 p.m. to a criminal mischief report on the 1200 block of Filbert Street.
Officers asked Marvin to step aside so the robot could finish its delivery. She refused repeatedly, police said, ignoring multiple commands to move. She received a criminal violation notice for disorderly conduct. Uber declined to comment.
The arrest was the first police involvement in Marvinâs months-long protest. Uber Eats robots began operating in Philadelphia in March. She says she blocks them to oppose corporations that displace human delivery workers to enrich their bottom line. Past encounters have circulated online.
Marvin plans to contest the charge, citing her First Amendment right to protest. She remains undeterred and intends to keep blocking robots. She also talks with curious passersby about automation and labor.
Before retiring, Marvin taught a course on freedom of expression at Penn. She sees her actions not as academic work but as civic engagement. "I would say it's my citizenship," she said.
She describes public opinion as divided. Some support her; others say she is unfair to paying customers. Marvin replies that those worried about money should also worry about delivery workers. She says she never blocks human pedestrians.
The case raises questions about public space, automated delivery, and dissent. Marvin plans to continue protesting and holding public conversations. As robots expand in cities, her arrest may intensify debate over innovation and workersâ livelihoods.
