A Singapore court has fined a 19-year-old French student S$600 (about $465) after he posted a viral video showing himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine before placing it back into the dispenser.
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance following the incident, which sparked widespread public criticism online.
Maximilien, who is studying in Singapore, shared the video on Instagram with the caption, “city is not safe.”
The clip quickly gained attention after it was reposted by a local community page and picked up by Singaporean media outlets, with many social media users expressing disgust at the stunt.
The vending machine operator, iJooz, said it was forced to replace all 500 straws stored inside the dispenser. This was done to reassure customers about hygiene and safety.
Under Singaporean law, public nuisance offences carry a maximum penalty of S$2,000, three months’ imprisonment, or both.
During sentencing, both prosecutors and the defence requested that the court impose a fine rather than a custodial sentence.
According to local media, Maximilien’s lawyer told the court that his client was genuinely remorseful.
“He is truly sorry for having caused all this trouble and he realises that what appeared to him at that time as something perhaps playful has turned out to be something very consequential,” the lawyer said.
The incident occurred on 12 March at an iJooz vending machine located in Goldhill Centre, an affluent neighbourhood in Singapore.
Reports indicate that Maximilien carried out the prank after finishing a boxing workout.
iJooz vending machines, which sell freshly squeezed orange juice for S$2 per cup, are widely used across Singapore. They can be found in shopping centres, train stations and residential estates.
The case has drawn attention to Singapore’s strict enforcement of public hygiene laws and its tough stance on unhygienic behaviours.