For complete details on how to be peppered, er, prepared, you'll have to wait for my forthcoming book..."Be Prepared or be Peppered" due out in 2060.
SOUTH AFRICA'S ABSA FITS ATMS WITH PEPPER SPRAY
A plan by South African bank Absa to deter criminals from bombing its ATMs by fitting them with pepper spray backfired last week when a rogue machine attacked maintenance workers. (bet he wasn't peppered for that)
According to local news site Independent Online, the bank, inconjunction with police, has fitted 11 cash machines across the CapePeninsula with cameras and spray canisters.
When the cameras detect that someone is tampering with card slots -either to install a bomb or skimming machine - the pepper spray isejected, disorientating the culprit, giving police time to reach thesite.
However, last week a machine in Fish Hoek accidentally sprayed threepeople during a routine maintenance inspection, leaving them requiringtreatment from paramedics.
According to the Guardian, the number of cash machines blown up inSouth Africa has risen from 54 in 2006 to 387 in 2007 and nearly 500last year.
Source: http://www.finextra.com/fullstory.asp?id=20271
Wow, what a surprise!!!
Also, it is to deter thieves, and it says that once the person is pepper sprayed, (probably not by a pepper spray keychain because of the size), that the police will arrive... I don't think the pepper spray will keep them long... instead they will probably drive blind and probably hit an innocent civilian!