French student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien fined for licking a straw and returning it to a vending machine dispenser.
A Singapore court fined 19-year-old French student Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien S$600 ($465) after he pleaded guilty to a public nuisance charge. The student was penalized for a social media stunt in which he licked a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returned it to the dispenser. Maximilien filmed the act for his Instagram followers, leading to a video that went viral and drew public criticism. The company operating the machine, iJooz, reported that the stunt required the replacement of all 500 straws in the dispenser. While the public nuisance charge carries a penalty of up to three months in prison, the court opted for a fine due to Maximilien's early guilty plea and the fact that no other members of the public used the contaminated straw. Defense counsel Kalidass Murugayan stated that Maximilien expressed deep remorse for the prank. Authorities will now determine if Maximilien can retain his student pass in Singapore.