There are quite a few remedies to get rid of the problem of thieves vandalizing ATM machines. However, Absa Bank in South Africa thought of something that must have been the result of some foolish brainstorming exercise. The result: a pepper spray attached to eleven ATMs of the bank, which were set to fire every time someone tried to tamper with the machine’s slots. This is detected with the help of a camera that detects the movement of the person in front of the machine. However, the real news is that this isn’t just working on thieves, but also the maintenance guys who come to service the machine. The poor chaps end up with a cloud of pepper sprayed on their sorry faces.

However, this system seems to be on trial for now, and in spite of all the tiny goof-ups that have taken place. Let’s hope that they don’t find their maintenance staff disappearing.
[Gizmag]