Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, a 19-year-old French student studying in Singapore, was fined S$600 ($465; £348) for licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back into its dispenser. The incident occurred on March 12 at the Goldhill Centre, a relatively affluent neighborhood in Singapore. Over 500 straws were replaced by the vending machine company after the stunt went viral online. Maximilien pleaded guilty to public nuisance and was given a fine, which is within the possible range of up to S$2,000 for such offenses.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A 19-year-old French student, *Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien*, has been fined S$600 ($465; £348) by a Singapore court for licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back into its dispenser. The stunt, which was posted on Instagram with the caption "city is not safe", sparked outrage online and was widely shared. As a result, the company that owns the vending machine, *iJooz*, replaced all 500 straws in the machine's dispenser out of concern for public health. Maximilien pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance, which carries a maximum fine of S$2,000 and/or three months in jail. The student, who is studying in Singapore, has apologized for his actions, saying he realizes they were "something very consequential".
Written for “Singapore Fines Teenager” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article presents the French student's actions as 'trouble' and emphasizes the potential consequences of his behavior, framing it in a disapproving light. Additionally, the tone is matter-of-fact and neutral, without any apparent attempt to excuse or justify the student's actions.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score -0.30 for article 41 · logged 2026-07-30
- Published
A Singapore court has fined a French student S$600 ($465; £348) for licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back into its dispenser.
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court → publish → dispenser
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance.
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Maximilien → plead → nuisance
Maximilien, who is studying in Singapore, posted the video of himself licking the straw on Instagram with the caption "city is not safe".
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city → study → caption
Many online reacted with disgust to his video, which was reposted on a community page and picked up by local news outlets.
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which → react → outlets
The company that owns the vending machine, iJooz, said it replaced all 500 straws in the machine dispenser after Maximilien's stunt.
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it → own → stunt
Public nuisance offenders in Singapore face up to a S$2,000 fine, three months in jail, or both.
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offenders → face → jail
Both the prosecution and the defence sought a fine for Maximilien.
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prosecution → seek → Maximilien
Maximilien is "truly sorry for having caused all this trouble and he realises that what appeared to him at that time as something perhaps playful has turned out to be something very consequential," a defence lawyer was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
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lawyer → cause → Times
Serving freshly squeezed orange juice at S$2 per cup, iJooz vending machines are a common sight in shopping districts, train stations and housing blocks in Singapore.
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machines → serve → Singapore
Maximilien licked the straw from an iJooz machine in Goldhill Centre on 12 March, in one of the city-state's more affluent neighbourhoods, after a boxing workout, Channel News Asia reported.
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Asia → lick → workout
