Police Go Bananas Over Custom Built Ford F-150
After law enforcement pulled over a giant banana, he split with twenty bucks for a fun cause.
If you know or talk to members of law enforcement, one thing they have a lot of are crazy stories. Michigan State State Trooper Bill Strouse has upped the ante on weird, after his recent encounter with a banana-modified truck.
The encounter began simple enough. Strouse just doing his usual patrolling. When he noticed something a bit…unusual. Coming down the highway was a big, yellow, slow-moving vehicle. Yes, it was a banana.
“I thought, ‘Are you kidding? That’s cool!” Strouse told WZZM 13. He had to check this out.
He pulled over Steve Braithwaite, the owner of the unique ride. The officer spoke with Braithwaite because, seriously, what is this thing?
It is the Big Banana Car, and it is a labor of love. It took over two and a half years and $25,000 to build the custom yellow ride from a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup, which still functions as a 4X4. You might be thinking, ‘Okay, that’s cool, but why?’ Well, Braithwaite was on a mission to shake things up, and have some fun.
He told the Washington Post he was aiming “to do something completely different and ridiculous.” Mission accomplished! “I wanted to build something that no one had ever seen before, [but] it was a two-part plan,” Braithwaite explained. “Plan A was build it. Plan B is drive it around the world.”
So, he explained to Strouse that the car–a Guinness World Record holder for, what else, longest custom banana car–was doing just that. Crisscrossing across America to spread some joy. Like a mythical creature, the Big Banana Car shows up in a town, attends events, spreads the laughs, and offers free rides. It is definitely a very unusual F-150 experience.
Strouse did the mandatory checks: headlights, breaks, license plate–which, of course, reads “SPLIT.” The trooper walked back to his vehicle, returned Braithwaite’s license, and had included a $20 bill.
“The big banana checked out just fine,” Strouse says. “I noticed the sign on the back of his banana and it said he was raising money and driving across America. That seemed like a very fun and noble thing to do. So, I pulled out my wallet and thought I would contribute.”
This was so cool, that the Michigan State Police even posted the story on Facebook.
It’s not often we see a, F-150 banana, but like Trooper Strouse, we have nothing but respect. Modding a truck is no easy endeavor. Modding an F-150 into a crazy banana just to give people a laugh? That is truckin’ appealing.
Photos: Facebook; Big Banana Car
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