Singapore Means Business! French Teen Charged Over Licking Vending Machine Straw Stunt, Faces Up to 2 Years in Prison
An 18-year-old French student in Singapore faces up to two years in prison after posting a video of himself contaminating a vending machine's straws, forcing the operator to replace 500 units.
Singapore authorities have charged 18-year-old French national Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien with property damage and causing public nuisance after he posted a video of himself licking a straw from an automatic orange juice vending machine and placing it back in the dispenser on March 12 at a shopping mall. Local media reports that Maximilien, a student at ESSEC Business School's Singapore campus, posted the video on Instagram with a caption reading "city is not safe," which sparked widespread criticism on social media. The vending machine operator iJooz revealed it had to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser following the incident. If found guilty on both counts, Maximilien faces over two years imprisonment and fines amounting to several thousand dollars. ESSEC Business School confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation into the matter. Maximilien's attorney stated that his parents have arrived in Singapore and that a representative from ESSEC has provided bail during court proceedings, with the next hearing scheduled for May 22.
