Car surfer: I won't do that again

Johnny Bennett says the stunt earned him the nickname among friends of "Johnny Danger".

The man who allegedly "surfed" on top of a taxi as it crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge says he hopes it launches a career as a stuntman.

Johnny Kerry Bennett, 25, was charged with creating a criminal nuisance by doing an unlawful act and entered no plea at North Shore District Court yesterday.

According to court documents, the alleged incident, caught on film by someone in the back of the cab, took place between March and May last year but did not make headlines until August this year.

Outside court, Bennett said the clip had earned him something of a reputation among his mates, and the nickname "Johnny Danger".

"It's got a bit of a ring to it," he said.

"I wouldn't mind being a stuntman but next time I'll do it under controlled circumstances."

The video - which went viral on social media and featured on international news sites - shows a man climbing out of the vehicle's passenger-side window and precariously clinging to the Reliable Cabs sign on the roof of the car.

Bennett, who confirmed he was likely to plead guilty to the charge, said he and two friends had been drinking the night before and were heading back to Whangaparaoa where they lived.

The clip starts by showing two young men in the back seat, while they organise what they are doing with the camera.

Blustery winds can be heard as the man hauls himself out of the window and spends several seconds stretched out over the roof.

At one point he smiles directly at the camera, which appears to be held by someone leaning out of the rear driver-side window.

After he climbs back in, amid screams and yahooing, the camera turns to the taxi driver, who is also smiling.

Bennett said the driver was certainly not trying to stop him.

"He was cracking up. He was all for it. He didn't get charged or anything - it's pick-on-Johnny-Danger week," he said.

Questions were sent to Reliable Cabs about whether the driver was still employed or whether he was sacked over the incident, but they had not responded last night.

Waitemata police called it an "idiotic and reckless act" and Bennett agreed, to an extent.

"I definitely won't be doing that again," he said. "Not the harbour bridge anyway."

Bennett was remanded at large and will be back in court next month to enter a plea. The charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison.