Vending

French teen fined $465 in Singapore straw-licking stunt

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July 31, 2026

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A Singapore court fined a 19-year-old French student 600 Singapore dollars, or about $465, after he licked a straw from an orange juice vending machine and returned it to the dispenser, according to an AP News report. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien pleaded guilty to public nuisance over the March 12 incident at Goldhill Centre.

Maximilien recorded the incident and posted the video on Instagram, adding a caption suggesting the city was unsafe. The footage drew widespread criticism after it was shared by a community social media page and reported by local news organizations. Vending operator iJooz responded by replacing all 500 straws in the machine and filing a police report.

A defense lawyer said Maximilien regretted the incident and understood that what he considered a prank had serious consequences. Public nuisance convictions in Singapore can result in a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (about $1,551), three months in jail or both. iJooz machines, which dispense freshly squeezed orange juice, are commonly found in shopping areas, transit stations and residential developments across the country.