Singapore court fines French student for his straw-licking stunt

Key Points:

• Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19-year-old French student in Singapore, was fined 600 Singapore dollars ($465) for filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back, an act prosecutors said was a social media stunt.
• The incident occurred at a shopping mall in March, and Maximilien was charged in April with public nuisance; the court also considered a mischief charge during sentencing but did not impose community service.
• Prosecutors sought the maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars ($1,551) but settled on a lower amount due to factors including no evidence of harm, the straw being retrieved by Maximilien himself, and his early guilty plea.
• The vending machine operator, IJooz, reported the incident to police, sanitized the machine, replaced all 500 straws, and plans to upgrade machines with individually packaged straws and improved dispensing mechanisms.
• Singapore enforces strict regulations on public cleanliness and behavior, with significant penalties for offenses like littering and vandalism; immigration authorities will decide whether Maximilien can retain his student pass.