South African ATMs Are Weaponized with Pepper Spray

South Africa is apparently one really dangerous place. Case in point: ATMs there are weaponized – yep, weaponized – with pepper spray. What could go wrong? Apparently, this:

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.

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