XC Guards - Carrying pepper spray?

[Tevion539]

Hi all,

Just on a XC train and noticed the guard had pepper spray on his belt. Is this normal for all XC staff? I wasn't aware that guards were allowed to carry such items?

 

[PupCuff]

Hi all,

Just on a XC train and noticed the guard had pepper spray on his belt. Is this normal for all XC staff? I wasn't aware that guards were allowed to carry such items?

Pepper spray etc is very illegal in the UK and even if you had managed to aquire some it's reasonable to assume you wouldn't overtly carry it lest you end up with a free trip to the nearest police station.

Perhaps it was hand sanitiser or something like that?

 

[43066]

Most likely a police officer carrying CS gas?

 

[Undiscovered]

Is it a holster for a ticket scanner?

 

[LowLevel]

I'd be very surprised if it was pepper spray. I've known many XC guards and none of them have been packing heat, beyond their ticket machines anyway

 

[Sheffcaster202]

Would be great if we could carry miniature air fresheners in that style!!

As said a few times I’d be very surprised if it was pepper spray, especially carried so openly with it being classed as a firearm

It could perhaps be a personal attack alarm? Some of those look like sprays but just sound a horrible alarm to draw attention and deter someone…some of the below have been issued by the TOC I work for…

Edit…this isn’t mine, a female colleague who works from a different depot was issued this

 

[Edsmith]

Probably hand sanitiser

 

[syorksdeano]

Was probably a can of deodorant because some customers could certainly do with some

 

[Russel]

Not sure why they would need it, they don't actually seem to check tickets so the scope for confrontation is very limited.

Before anyone jumps on me, I'm a regular XC passenger, I know how infrequent ticket checks are...

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Not sure why they would need it, they don't actually seem to check tickets so the scope for confrontation is very limited.

Before anyone jumps on me, I'm a regular XC passenger, I know how infrequent ticket checks are...

Pre COVID, the TMs on the Voyagers were very desperate indeed, almost as much as Greater Anglia Regional and Northern’s, so I’m not sure what happened there.

 

[Applepie356]

it definitely won’t be pepper spray, it’s illegal.

However it could be one of those “self-defense” sprays which sprays a liquid that sticks for a week or so.

Or it’s just a bottle of hand sanitizer.

 

[delt1c]

Hi all,

Just on a XC train and noticed the guard had pepper spray on his belt. Is this normal for all XC staff? I wasn't aware that guards were allowed to carry such items?

Surely you shouldn't jump to conclusions. As posts above say there are many things it could be.

 

[Bluejays]

As much as I'd love pepper spray to be part of the tm kit, I strongly doubt it is

 

[greatkingrat]

it definitely won’t be pepper spray, it’s illegal.

However it could be one of those “self-defense” sprays which sprays a liquid that sticks for a week or so.

Even that would almost certainly be considered gross misconduct if used by a staff member.

 

[Undiscovered]

Even that would almost certainly be considered gross misconduct if used by a staff member.

Depends on the circumstances.
If it's company issue, and used within policy, then not gross misconduct.

If it's a police issued spray as a result of a restraining order, against a specific person and is only used on that person if they're in breach of said order, then again, not gross misconduct.

Are there any XC guards able to shed light, or are we just going to go on fantastical mystery tours of speculation

 

[class 9]

Depends on the circumstances.
If it's company issue, and used within policy, then not gross misconduct.

If it's a police issued spray as a result of a restraining order, against a specific person and is only used on that person if they're in breach of said order, then again, not gross misconduct.

Are there any XC guards able to shed light, or are we just going to go on fantastical mystery tours of speculation

An XC driver here, I can definitely say no one carries pepper spray, a complete load of nonsense!

 

[matt_world2004]

Could it be that smartwatch yiu spray it on someone and the cops can identify the person who it is through a UV light?

 

[dk1]

I’m crying with laughter at this thread.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I’m crying with laughter at this thread.

I failed to remind you about myself being armed with a taser in the ticket office.