Staff Reports
Montana troopers recently did what most of us only dream of: they pulled over a 23-foot banana. The Montana Highway Patrol posted photos and a jokey caption about how “traffic laws still apply to fruit,” and local reporters quickly tracked down the banana’s owner, Steve Braithwaite. He confirmed what the pictures suggested — yes, it’s a real novelty vehicle, and yes, he’s been stopped dozens, maybe hundreds, of times while driving it across the country.
The stop that split the internet
The stop happened near Billings when troopers noticed part of the license plate was obscured. The plate reads “SPLIT,” which is cute until a cop needs to read it. The patrol’s social post called the banana “apPEALing” and said the car “definitely stands out.” No citation was reported; it appears the troopers treated it as a routine check. But a routine check on a novelty vehicle turned into a national feel-good moment once the photos hit social media.
Why the banana gets attention — and why that matters
Steve Braithwaite built the Big Banana Car on a pickup chassis more than a decade ago and finished the fiberglass body around 2011. He’s toured the country with it as part of a “world needs more whimsy” mission, offering rides and smiles. He told reporters he’s been pulled over many times and that driving the banana “affects me. It actually does something fantastic.” That human-interest angle explains why people share the story: novelty, nostalgia, and a break from the usual bad headlines.
Common sense enforcement, not theater
Here’s the practical point: novelty or no novelty, vehicles must meet basic road rules. A blocked plate is a legitimate reason for a stop. If the banana had been a traffic hazard or the plate unreadable, the troopers would have been justified in writing a ticket. Law enforcement doesn’t need to be humorless; it does need to be even-handed. This stop shows officers can apply the law while keeping the mood light — and the public gets a reminder to keep plates and lights visible, even on a giant piece of fruit.
At the end of the day, the Big Banana Car is harmless fun that brightens people’s days and provides a human story amid the usual grind. Still, it’s also a small lesson in personal responsibility: if you choose to parade around in a novelty vehicle, take two seconds to make sure your license plate isn’t covered. Troopers get to keep the road safe, and drivers get to keep their sense of humor — and everyone gets a photo op. That’s a win for whimsy and common sense alike.
