A woman was arrested in Philadelphia for blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot and refusing to move, protesting that such robots take human delivery workers' jobs. The incident highlights growing public backlash against autonomous delivery systems and robotaxis in cities.
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/avride-uber-delivery.webp?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Carolyn Marvin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after blocking the path of an Uber delivery robot and refusing to get out of the way. Marvin told Philadelphia's <em><a href="https://abc13.com/story/woman-arrested-blocking-delivery-robot-philadelphia-confrontation/19943936/">ABC13</a></em> "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."</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Police responded to the scene and asked Marvin to move out of the robot's way. When she refused, they placed her in cuffs and arrested her. The incident was captured on video and has now garnered considerable media attention. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The delivery robots have become a common sight on the …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1013541/a-woman-was-arrested-in-philly-for-blocking-a-delivery-robot">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# A woman was arrested in Philly for blocking a delivery robot
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1013541/a-woman-was-arrested-in-philly-for-blocking-a-delivery-robot](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1013541/a-woman-was-arrested-in-philly-for-blocking-a-delivery-robot)
[](https://www.theverge.com/authors/terrence-obrien)
Terrence O'Brien
is the Verge’s weekend editor\. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths\.
Carolyn Marvin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after blocking the path of an Uber delivery robot and refusing to get out of the way\. Marvin told Philadelphia’s*[ABC13](https://abc13.com/story/woman-arrested-blocking-delivery-robot-philadelphia-confrontation/19943936/)*“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\.”
Police responded to the scene and asked Marvin to move out of the robot’s way\. When she refused, they placed her in cuffs and arrested her\. The incident was captured on video and has now garnered considerable media attention\.
The delivery robots have become a common sight on the streets of downtown Philadelphia and have sparked backlash\. This is not even Marvin’s first brush with them\. And earlier this year, one was[kicked over](https://6abc.com/post/uber-eats-delivery-robot-gets-kicked-center-city-philadelphia/18817649/)in Center City\. Broad concern has grown about how autonomous systems, including robotaxis, delivery robots, and AI agents, are impacting jobs, especially for[lower\-skill workers](https://www.theverge.com/report/806728/tech-left-teens-fighting-over-scraps-robots-taking-jobs)\.
**Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\.
- Terrence O'Brien
A retired professor was arrested after physically blocking delivery robots on the street, claiming the machines are taking human jobs. The incident highlights growing public friction over automation and service-industry labor displacement.
A person reports that Waymo self-driving cars are blocking all lanes of traffic, causing inconvenience and indicating a potential issue with autonomous vehicles.
A delivery robot in Philadelphia was lightly hit by a truck while crossing the street, then displayed heart eyes on its LED panel and continued its route.
Uber is lobbying lawmakers to adopt regulations that would require robotaxi services to operate on hybrid human-robot networks, potentially forcing autonomous vehicle developers like Waymo and Tesla to use Uber's platform instead of their own apps, as seen in a proposed New Jersey bill.
Robotaxis are expanding in the US, but face increasing pushback and regulatory challenges from governments, unions, and safety advocates over issues of safety, control, and employment.