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French student fined over Singapore straw licking prank
DW.com • • world
Key Points:
- A French student, Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, was fined 600 Singapore dollars (€400, $458) for licking a drinking straw and returning it to a dispenser in a prank filmed for social media.
- The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to a public nuisance charge and avoided a possible prison sentence, though it is unclear if his student pass will be revoked.
- The prank involved removing a straw from a freshly squeezed orange juice vending machine, licking it, and placing it back, which led to all 500 straws in the dispenser being replaced.
- The incident drew nationwide attention in Singapore, a city-state known for strict public-order laws and rigorous enforcement, despite the direct replacement cost being only about 5 Singapore dollars (€3.30).
- Maximilien expressed remorse in court, acknowledging that what seemed like a harmless prank could have serious consequences under Singapore's strict legal framework.
