A joke, a way to settle a debt, or self-defense? When the repellent is released, it’s annoying
More and more people are using pepper spray in the Montreal Metro, which means that lines have to be shut down and trains and stations have to be cleared out so that the system can breathe.
In 2022, the Société de transport de MontréalAt least 20 times, chemical irritants like pepper spray were found, and in two of those cases, the police had to get involved.
Based on the numbers CBC News got through a request for access to information, that’s up from four to six incidents a year between 2018 and 2021.
So far in 2023, there have been a few pepper spray incidents on the Metro, including one on Valentine’s Day morning rush hour that stopped several lines.
The STM didn’t say what caused the incident, but since STM special constables don’t carry pepper spray, it seems likely that passengers were the ones who used it.
When an irritant, like pepper spray, is sprayed in someone’s face or even near them, it burns their eyes, nose, and throat and, in some cases, makes it hard for them to breathe.
Philippe Déry, a spokesman for the STM, said that the steps to help clear the air of a sprayed irritant and quickly ventilate the area involve stopping service.
The metro tunnels are linked, and they all have the same ventilation system. So that the vapor cloud doesn’t spread, the STM has to stop the trains until the underground network can get some fresh air.
Last year, the release of pepper spray-like substances stopped service for an average of 30 minutes. However, it can take several trainloads of passengers to get the system back to normal and get people back on their way.
Prank or weapon
Patrick Makariak heard about a pepper spray incident at Berri-UQAM station, one of the main downtown Metro hubs, in January. He didn’t see who threw the substance, but the thing that was left in the air made his eyes burn for about 10 minutes.
Makariak said, “I have to give credit to the STM. They did a great job of getting the word out, telling us to leave the station right away. He said that the news was shared in both English and French.
Makariak knows the STM’s emergency codes because he regularly posts transit videos on his YouTube channel, Sky of the Universe. He said that the code for a pepper spray incident is being used more often these days.
Makariak said, “I don’t know if people are doing it as a joke, or sometimes, from what I’ve heard, it’s a fight between people, and they use it as a weapon or to defend themselves.” “But, sure, it’s becoming a bigger problem.”
“When they cut service, it affects a large number of lines, and sometimes the whole line.” There is more than one station. “Most of the time, it’s a cascade effect,” said Makariak.
Legitimate self-defence
In Canada, it is against the law to carry pepper spray.
But if you do a quick search on the internet, you can find similar chemical irritants like bear spray or dog repellent that you can buy online or at your local outdoor store.
The active ingredient in chile peppers is capsaicin, which is found in different amounts in these repellents.
These sprays are meant for hikers and campers to use in the backcountry, but George Manoli, a former Montreal police officer, says that his clients often ask him about using them for their own safety.
Manoli teaches about 100 people self-defense each month in his classes.
“I’d say at least 90% of those people ask about pepper spray,” Manoli said.
Most of his clients are women who don’t like to travel alone because they don’t feel safe.
Manoli teaches many ways to protect yourself from an attacker, but some people would rather disable their attacker without touching them. He doesn’t teach people how to use pepper spray, but he does tell them how it works.
“You have to realize that it can’t be a crutch,” Manoli told her. “Once it becomes a crutch, which means you feel weak without it, we have a problem, right?”
It’s also easy to make a mistake with pepper spray.
On the top of the container is a switch that can be turned on by accident if the person handling it is not careful.Manoli said that even a small burst of a spray with capsaicin is very annoying, especially in a small space like the Metro.
“You must clean up the area.” You have to go somewhere with fresh air because it will affect you right away “said Manoli. “There’s nothing else to do.”
Manoli doesn’t tell people not to carry bear spray or dog repellent, but he does tell them that it’s against the law.
Manoli tells them that if they are caught, the product will be taken away, and they may get a ticket or be charged with a crime.
In January 2019, two men got into a fight on the Metro platform at Champ-de-Mars, near Montreal’s city hall. Pepper spray was used to break up the fight. Later, a 38-year-old man was taken into custody and charged with six things, including having a banned weapon and attacking someone while armed.
The Montreal Police Service (SPVM) turned down an interview request and couldn’t say if pepper spray is being used more often in general.
In an email that wasn’t signed, the SPVM said that if an irritant is found in the Metro system, police are there to help the STM evacuate the station.
“We work closely together with the STMs.”Direction sûreté et contrôle“to deploy resources based on issues of crime, mischief, and rudeness,” it said, “to make sure that users are safe and that people can live together as peacefully as possible.”