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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/53250107

Police confirmed they had responded to a report of "criminal mischief involving a robot" on the 1200 block of Filbert Street around 1:16 p.m. on Wednesday. A woman on the scene ignored "multiple commands" to move, they said, resulting in a criminal violation notice for disorderly conduct.

Uber declined to comment.

Marvin, who plans to contest the charge on the grounds of her First Amendment right to protest, has been undeterred by the arrest. She plans to continue blocking Uber Eats robots and chatting with curious passersby who ask what she's doing.

"It allows me to talk to people about what's going on," she said. "It's always very interesting conversations that we have, and I think it's good to have those kinds of conversations in public space."

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[-] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 53 points 1 week ago

If you can block bots online, why can't you block them in the physical world?

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world -3 points 6 days ago

Because robots in the physical world are legal, and in this case using public sidewalks. Online bots are violating terms of service as defined by the human owners of websites.

[-] demonsword@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

Cars and motorcycles aren't allowed on sidewalks. What makes those robots so special that you think they should be allowed to occupy an already crowded and very definitely human space?

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

They don't have to be special, they just have to be allowed, which depends on local laws that restrict their weight, speed, and other things. This whole line of argument misses my point that giving workers a share of the benefits of innovation would be better than treating the innovations as the enemy.

[-] demonsword@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

They don’t have to be special, they just have to be allowed, which depends on local laws that restrict their weight, speed, and other things.

This is your opinion and I disagree. They're free to sort it out with the heavy machinery on the tarmac, though, if and only if they're taxed as other vehicles are taxed too.

This whole line of argument misses my point that giving workers a share of the benefits of innovation would be better than treating the innovations as the enemy.

We're talking about uber eats, do you think they will give any worker a share of any benefit? Get real.

[-] mcv@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 days ago

There's a difference between do and should. They should. That requires regulation.

[-] demonsword@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Of course they should, but they won't. Regulation means an elected representative would have to propose the law, it would have to be approved, then signed into law. Won't ever happen because of regulatory capture.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 5 days ago

Won’t ever happen because of regulatory capture.

And yet a huge body of regulatory law exists.

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Companies will only give workers a share of the benefits of innovation if they're forced to - a goal I'd rather try to achieve than call it impossible. People have taken your attitude about all sorts of real things - worker safety rules, food quality standards, the right to unionize... even the idea that people would obey lines painted on the road was originally scoffed at. And yet we have them. So get real yourself.

[-] demonsword@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

You're very wrong if you think I'm being defeatist because I enjoy it. I'm just jaded after a lifetime of enduring the apathy of everyone around me. If you're not like me yet and don't want to lose that spark, keep fighting. I'm just too tired to do it myself. Good luck.

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Sorry you're so burned out, and I hope something comes along to reignite your passion - there's always that chance.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago

robots in the physical world are legal

They are not explicitly illegal. That doesn't mean they or their owners have rights that supersede those of the general public.

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

The general philosophy of US law is that not being explicitly illegal means legal. Robots have no rights whatsoever, but their owners have the same rights as everybody else. Refer to my example of blocking someone's car into a parking space.

[-] Bazoogle@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

You blocking bots ona platform has nothing to do with ToS. Blocking a robot is just standing in front of it, it's not human. You are allowed to stand on a public sidewalk. If it stops moving because you stand in front if it, how is that illegal?

[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

That's the kind of bland rationalization an asshole would make for blocking your car into a parking space. The difference is only in the details.

[-] Bazoogle@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

the "detail" is the fact one is a human and one is a robot. That's a pretty big detail if you ask me

this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2026
697 points (99.0% liked)

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