New Zealand man rides on top of car to hold free fridge in place

A NZ man who held a fridge on the roof of a moving car because he didn’t have a rope is being hailed as a westie hero.

A New Zealand man balances a fridge on top of a car. Source: Facebook, NewLynnCommunity.

A PHOTO of a New Zealand man holding a fridge on the roof of a moving car is causing controversy on Facebook.

The man is standing on the boot while wearing thongs and was posted on Facebook with the comment “West Auckland WOOP”.

Post by New Lynn.

In the comments section, Daniel Jackson of west Auckland wrote “hae this is me we didnt have a rope and needed that fridge but no dent incured and we got it home safly”.

So far the image has so far been shared more than 400 times and 672 people like it.

Jackson told news.com.au that he was the person on top of the car but he was not sure who took the photo, which was posted on Facebook on the weekend.

He said he saw the fridge on the side of the road a few months ago and decided to take it home. Not having any ropes or roof racks on the car did not deter him.

“We didn’t care that there were no ropes, we just put it on and drove off. It was only a couple of hundred metres up the road.”

The 22-year-old labourer said he did not feel any concern for his safety during the journey. And despite the trouble he went to acquire the fridge, he has since given it away.

“We wanted it for a beer fridge but then all the beers were gone ... so we decided we didn’t want it.”

While some people on the Facebook page seemed impressed, others commented that it was a stupid thing to do.

One person commented “unbelievable only a westie. would share but the cops might get his car” as the numberplate is shown in the image.

Another said: “it’s a great way to publicise you are bloody stupid”, while several people observe that at least the car is indicating as it turns a corner.

Others were worried about his footwear: “I cant see the problem. no i do see it no safety boots on that’s a big no”.

The photo was posted on a Facebook page devoted to the community of New Lynn, a suburb in Auckland’s southwest.

Jackson is not the only New Zealander who has turned heads on the roads while picking up hard rubbish.

In 2008, a Kiwi motorcyclist was photographed riding on the Eastern Freeway in Victoria with a barbecue strapped to his body.

Stuart was photographed on the Eastern Freeway with a barbecue strapped to his body.

Stuart, 27, who didn’t want his real name revealed, was ridiculed when the Herald Sun published a photo yesterday of his barbecue escapade.

An astonished motorist had snapped him while he was transporting the barbecue on the highway.

Stuart, who migrated from New Zealand in August, said he picked up the barbecue left on a nature strip for a hard rubbish collection.

“It was the challenge (of transporting the barbecue) more than the thing itself,” he said.