(UPI) — The Montana Highway Patrol shared a photo from an interstate traffic stop involving an unusual vehicle: a car modeled after a banana.
The MHP posted a photo to social media showing the fruit-shaped vehicle pulled over at the side of Interstate 90, near Billings.
“We’ve stopped speeders, distracted drivers, and even a few unusual vehicles… but this one definitely stands out,” the post said. “The Big Banana Car was stopped cruising near Billings today. While it may be apPEALing, traffic laws still apply to fruit.”
Steve Braithwaite, driver and creator of the Big Banana Car, said he’s no stranger to traffic stops.
“I would say the first eight or nine years, I was probably the most pulled-over man in America,” Braithwaite said.
This incident was unique, in that the officers weren’t just curious to see the car — he had boxes on his cargo rack that were partially blocking his license plate, which reads “SPLIT.”
Braithwaite was informed of the issue and released without a ticket.
“It was a fair complaint, but we had a good chat,” he said.
Braithwaite said the vehicle began its life as a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup truck and he finished work on converting it into a banana in 2011.
The England-native, who has lived in Michigan for about 40 years, initially used the Big Banana Car as a promotional tool for his ad business. Braithwaite packed up about a week ago to drive his unusual vehicle across the country full-time.
“I recently sold most of everything I own and put the rest in storage, and I’m now on the road as a full-time banana car nomad,” he said.
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