78-Year-Old Woman Cited by Police After Blocking Food Delivery Robot — “I Have More Rights Than the Robot”

Carolyn Marvin says she is protesting the growing use of machines on public sidewalks, arguing that delivery robots threaten human jobs, pedestrian safety and personal privacy. But her latest demonstration ended with police intervention.

A 78-year-old retired university professor found herself at the center of an unusual police encounter after repeatedly standing in the path of an autonomous food-delivery robot in Philadelphia. Carolyn Marvin, a retired communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, was stopped by police on October 14, 2026, near Reading Terminal Market in the city’s Center City neighborhood. Rather than stepping aside to let the robot continue its delivery, Marvin refused to move, even after officers reportedly gave her multiple instructions. Police eventually issued her a criminal violation notice for disorderly conduct. Speaking to CNN afterward, Marvin explained her thinking with a remark that quickly attracted attention: “I was under the impression that I had more rights than the robot did.”

According to Marvin, the incident was not an isolated act of frustration. She had been deliberately blocking delivery robots for months as a form of protest against the growing presence of automated machines in public spaces. Whenever she encountered one and had the time, she would stand in front of it, sometimes moving along with the machine to prevent it from completing its route. She estimated that her actions might delay a delivery by 10 to 15 minutes. Marvin said she did not intend to obstruct other pedestrians and viewed the demonstrations as a way to start conversations with people about the future of technology. On the day she received the citation, she had been returning from a flu shot appointment, carrying groceries and takeout food, when she encountered another robot and stopped in its path.

Marvin’s objections extend beyond the inconvenience of sharing a sidewalk with a machine. She believes autonomous delivery services could take away earning opportunities from low-wage workers who depend on delivering food for a living. She also worries about the safety of pedestrians, particularly people who may have difficulty navigating around machines on crowded sidewalks. Another concern involves privacy: delivery robots use cameras and other onboard technology to navigate their surroundings, raising questions about how information collected in public spaces is handled. Marvin argues that people should have a voice in deciding how much space corporations and their machines are allowed to occupy. She also believes her demonstrations are protected by the First Amendment, which safeguards freedom of speech and peaceful protest.

The legal situation, however, is more complicated than Marvin initially expected. Pennsylvania passed legislation in 2020 recognizing autonomous delivery machines, officially known as personal delivery devices, under the state’s vehicle code. The law gives these devices certain rights and responsibilities similar to those of pedestrians. However, that does not mean they automatically have priority over people walking on sidewalks. Philadelphia attorney John Mattiacci explained to CNN that delivery devices must yield to other pedestrians and cyclists in pedestrian areas. Marvin’s disorderly conduct citation does not establish that the robot had greater rights than she did, nor does it settle whether her particular protest was legally protected. Her case instead highlights the difficult questions cities face as automated delivery services become more common.

Despite the encounter with police, Marvin has no intention of abandoning her campaign. She told CNN that she would continue blocking delivery robots when it was convenient and possible, although she now plans to be more aware of the possibility of police intervention. Her protest has also revived a broader debate about automation, employment and the use of public space. Supporters of delivery technology point to convenience and the potential for more efficient deliveries, while critics question who benefits when machines begin performing work traditionally done by people. For Marvin, the issue is about more than a delayed lunch order. She believes communities should have a say before sidewalks become increasingly dominated by commercial technology — and she is willing to keep making that argument, one robot at a time.

Source: PEOPLE