Steve Braithwaite knows he’s ripe for being pulled over.
Since 2011, Braithwaite has been driving a car shaped like a giant banana. The unique vehicle caught the attention of the Montana Highway Patrol, which shared a photo of the traffic stop on Facebook.
“We’ve stopped speeders, distracted drivers, and even a few unusual vehicles… but this one definitely stands out,” the accompanying post reads. “The Big Banana Car was stopped cruising near Billings today. While it may be apPEALing, traffic laws still apply to fruit.”
Braithwaite tells KBZK that he’s used to being stopped on the road — “I would say the first eight or nine years, I was probably the most pulled-over man in America,” he says — but allows that he was pulled over by the Montana Highway Patrol for a legitimate reason. Apparently his license plate, which, naturally, reads “SPLIT,” was covered.
“I see the officer go any other way, and he looped around, and he actually had a legitimate reason for pulling me over,” Braithwaite says. “It was a fair complaint, but we had a good chat.”
The stop didn’t result in a ticket, and Braithwaite says driving the banana car is worth it, even with all the attention from traffic enforcement.
“Driving around in a banana and having all these people, all these smiles and waves, affects me,” he says. “It actually does something fantastic.”
Plus, it’s always helpful to have a banana if you ever find yourself racing in Mario Kart.