In South Africa, ATMs have been weaponized with pepper spray to ward off thieves. What could possibly go wrong??
Oh, this is what could go wrong:
The technology uses cameras to detect people tampering with the card slots. Another machine then ejects pepper spray to stun the culprit while police response teams race to the scene.
But the mechanism backfired in one incident last week when pepper spray was inadvertently inhaled by three technicians who required treatment from paramedics.
Patrick Wadula, spokesman for the Absa bank, which is piloting the scheme, told the Mail & Guardian Online: “During a routine maintenance check at an Absa ATM in Fish Hoek, the pepper spray device was accidentally activated.
“At the time there were no customers using the ATM. However, the spray spread into the shopping centre where the ATMs are situated.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to risk getting a blast of pepper spray in the face if I put my PIN in wrong. [Neatorama]
