A French student has been fined 600 Singapore dollars (€400, $458) after he licked a drinking straw and returned it to the dispenser in a prank filmed for social media.
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilian, 19, pleaded guilty to a charge of public nuisance.
He escaped a possible prison sentence, but it is unclear whether authorities will revoke his student pass. The French national studies at ESSEC Business School in Singapore.
What did the student do and why?
Maximilian took a straw out of the freshly squeezed orange juice vending machine in March, licked it and put it back in the dispenser.
He filmed the stunt for an Instagram story and the video later went viral.
An employee of the company that operates the machine saw the footage and contacted the police. As a result, all 500 straws in the dispenser had to be replaced.
The direct cost was only Singapore dollars 5, or about €3.30, according to court documents, but the case attracted nationwide attention.
If convicted of disturbing public order, Maximilian could have faced several months in jail, a fine, or both.
His lawyer told the court that he was remorseful and now understood that an apparently harmless prank could have far-reaching consequences.
Singapore’s strict public order laws
This wealthy city-state is known for its strict laws and rigorous enforcement, cleanliness and tightly regulated public spaces have been part of its image for decades.
For example, the import of chewing gum is largely restricted as part of efforts to prevent littering and vandalism.
Singapore also has a provision for judicial caning for some serious offences, although this punishment was not applicable in the student’s case.
Edited by: Louis Olofse
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