Fridge mover: A fuss over nothing

Daniel Jackson says he had a firm grip on the fridge.

When Daniel Jackson hopped on the back of a mate's car to hold a fridge in place while they moved it in West Auckland, he never imagined the furore his actions would create seven months later.

The West Auckland man featured in yesterday's Herald after a photograph of his unique whiteware-moving approach went viral on social media.

West Auckland police said they were keen to speak to Mr Jackson about the incident, which was captured on camera in March by another motorist.

Yesterday, after the Herald published the photo of the incident, Mr Jackson's escapades were also picked up by international media including the Australian and Daily Mail.

"Don't blow it out of proportion," he told the Herald.

"I just picked up a fridge and drove it around the corner, that's it."

He said he and a mate were driving on Rosier Rd, Glen Eden, in late March when they saw the fridge on the side of the road.

"We saw it, we went and got it. We just picked it up and took it home. We didn't have a rope and it [putting it on the car roof] was easier than trying to track down a trailer at the time."

Mr Jackson jumped on the boot and held the fridge as his mate drove.

"We were only going about 10-15km/h. We only took it about 500m. I don't think it was dangerous at all. I was on the boot holding it," he said.

"We knew someone was recording us but I didn't know they were going to put it on social media."

Mr Jackson said the fridge did not move on top of the car and he had a firm grip on it. Once he got the fridge to his house in Leo St, he put it in the garage.

"It ended up going to scrap metal. I didn't even plug it in. I just left it in the garage for three or four months, then ended up getting rid of it."

Mr Jackson was not fazed by the police interest in him.

"I wasn't driving. It wasn't even my car. So no, I'm not worried at all."

His advice to anyone else caught in the same situation?

"If you can get away with it without getting caught, yeah, do it. It's not like you're going to do it for 5km or anything like that. It was just around the corner."

He also took to Facebook to defend himself.

"Calm dwn and c the lighter side guys ... whats done is done. No point getng ya panties in a twist ... no1 got hurt and it realy doesnt mater what you thnk cos its got nothng to do with you ... so let the cops do the stern talkng," he wrote.

Waitakere area police commander Inspector Scott Webb said that while he could see the comical side of the incident, the potential consequences were obvious.