French hitchhiker throws 'absolute hissy fit' in New Zealand after four days without a lift

Unnamed 27-year old has passport confiscated after he lay in the road screaming and damaged signs when he was not picked up

Looking south from Punakaiki on the West Coast of New Zealand (Alan Liefting/Creative Commons)

A hitchhiker in New Zealand has been arrested for embarking on a rampage after he became frustrated when he did not get a lift.

The unnamed 27-year-old Frenchman arrived in the tiny west coast village of Punakaiki last week, and then spent four days attempting to leave.

New Zealand’s State Highway 6, which extends from the north to the south of New Zealand’s South Island, passes through the village.

On the fourth day, the man reportedly “went berserk”, and attacked the Welcome to Punakaiki sign with a rock and began abusing drivers on the road.

He then lay in the road screaming and also threw several other road signs into the local river, the Guardian reports.

When an elderly fisherman approached the man and “had words” with the Frenchman, another man called the police fearing the quarrel that erupted could turn violent.

Local Neil Mouat said: “Oh he threw an absolute hissy fit; he was lying prone on the road screaming that New Zealanders were assholes and he couldn’t wait to get back to Europe.”

“He was a spoilt millennial, and he created a hell of a din. But all that time he was standing in the wrong place to hitchhike – a corner with poor visibility and nowhere for cars to easily pull over.”

The village lies 28 miles south of the large west coast town of Greymouth – a long walk but one which would take less than two days for a reasonably fit person.

Punakaiki is a popular tourist destination due to the unusual Pancake Rocks formation on the coast where the sea bursts through vertical blowholes during high tides.

However, the village has no shops and only basic public amenities making it unsuitable for a lengthier stay.

West coast senior sergeant Paul Watson said: “That road sees a bit of traffic but this man had no joy, I suspect because of his aggressive behaviour. He also told us he hadn’t eaten for two days so that could have contributed to him losing the plot.”

He added: “Hitchhiking is totally legal and travellers usually have no problem hitching lifts around here. It is rare to see anyone waiting for long, and I have never heard of someone waiting four days. This case is an outlier.”

The man was charged with wilful damage and has had his passport confiscated. He is now out on bail.