Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, an 18-year-old French teenager, has been charged in Singapore with mischief and public nuisance after posting a social media video in which he licked a straw from an orange juice vending machine and placed it back. The incident occurred at a shopping mall on March 12, and the video quickly went viral.
Court Proceedings and School Trip
Maximilien was charged on April 24 and has not yet entered a plea, according to the Straits Times, Singapore's largest English-language newspaper. On Wednesday, the court granted him permission to travel to Manila in May for a mandatory school trip required for his graduation. He is scheduled to return to court on May 29.
Potential Penalties
The charge of mischief carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. Public nuisance is a less severe offense, with a maximum penalty of three months in prison, a fine, or both.
Company Response
IJooz, the company operating the vending machine, filed a police report and immediately sanitized the dispenser, replacing all 500 straws inside. The company announced plans to upgrade its machines with individually packaged straws and straw compartments that unlock only after a transaction is completed.
Lawyers for the teenager, who is studying at a French business school in Singapore, declined to comment on the case.
Singapore's Strict Regulations
Singapore, a small and densely populated city-state, enforces strict regulations on public behavior and cleanliness. This includes bans on chewing gum, as well as heavy fines for littering, graffiti, and vandalism.
