A 19-year-old French student living in Singapore, Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, was issued a S$600 fine by a local court following an incident involving a vending machine. Maximilien entered a guilty plea for a charge of public nuisance.
The teenager filmed himself licking a straw before returning it to the dispenser of an iJooz orange juice vending machine. He then uploaded the footage to Instagram alongside the caption, “city is not safe.” The video sparked widespread backlash after being shared across social media and covered by local press. In response, iJooz replaced the entire stock of 500 straws in that specific machine to ensure hygiene.
According to reports, the incident took place on March 12 at Goldhill Centre following a workout. While public nuisance carries a maximum penalty of S$2,000 or three months in jail, the court settled on a fine. His legal counsel stated that Maximilien expressed deep regret for his actions, acknowledging that what he initially perceived as a playful act led to serious consequences.
