Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Big Banana Car

bigbananacar.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 142 posts

Re: Big Banana Car

#81

Post by x______________ »

ceejayoz wrote: post #61
x______________ wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Finally! A nice story about cops pulling over a 23-foot banana motor vehicle for years without any consequence other than spreading joy to the people involved and years of fame! No? You could also pull the public tax dollars spent card, or other crimes not being pursued while you're at it but it won't help sour the mood!

> A nice story about cops… This is not a nice story about cops.

> A police officer marched up to the banana and delivered the news.

> "'The reason I pulled you over, that light back there, you peeled out.'"

> For a moment, Braithwaite didn't know if he was being serious or not.

> "He said it so straight-faced," Braithwaite recalled. "And I'm like, 'Oh yeah.'"

> The banana jokes, he said, are "never-ending."

> Fortunately, so are the laughs.

..Are we discussing the same article?

> Braithwaite recently drove the banana into Mexico, where he was pulled over five times in three days.

> Every encounter was friendly, he says.

This is a great international story about cops!

> Now he's thinking much bigger.

> His goal is to drive the Big Banana Car through Central America; somehow get it shipped across oceans and eventually circle the globe.

> "I just want to keep going," he said.

> He's calling the adventure "The World Needs More Whimsy Grand Tour."

> A sign mounted to the back of the vehicle carries the slogan.

> "The world is dangerously low on whimsy," says the man hoping to make a difference.

That last paragraph hits it out of the park.

Re: Big Banana Car

#82

Post by doubled112 »

dredmorbius wrote: post #77
doubled112 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. I’ve ridden a bike year round in southwestern Ontario. In general, I’m fairly waterproof. -30C was pretty cold, especially moving, but rare enough I could dress for it and keep my body parts. Snowstorms are always fun. Free physics lessons included. How much traction can you get? Whoops, I’m laying on the ground. Thunderstorms and hail you might want to avoid.

What do you do for your hands and feet especially, and if you wear glasses, the inevitable frosting of them. Heck, if you don't wear glasses, what do you do for windburn? I've biked as low as about -15C, though it's much more comfortable keeping it above -10 -- -5 or so.

Some heavier Thinsulate gloves were always enough for me. Maybe a pair of those thin fabric cheapies underneath.

Boots were just my regular winter boots. I think they all say "comfortable" down to -40C at this point. Comfortable is probably overselling it, but I still have all of my toes.

I don't remember my glasses ever really fogging up until I'd get inside. I don't like things on my face, so usually just a hat with ear flaps. Add a scarf for neck and lower face. Perhaps a beard helped too. It and my mustache have certainly frosted up.

When I was doing it regularly, those days just weren't common enough to justify doing anything special. I could generally keep the rides short which really helped out.

Re: Big Banana Car

#83

Post by TurdF3rguson »

init2null wrote: post #14

Every time he gets pulled over for a selfie it's an abuse of power. If he can't ignore it, they shouldn't be doing it. Wait for a random encounter in a parking lot or gas station like the rest of us.

The thing is, you can be reasonably sure when you pull over a big banana car, that the driver won't be a curmudgeonly prick who invokes the fourth amendment.

Re: Big Banana Car

#84

Post by dredmorbius »

doubled112 wrote: post #82
dredmorbius wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you do for your hands and feet especially, and if you wear glasses, the inevitable frosting of them. Heck, if you don't wear glasses, what do you do for windburn? I've biked as low as about -15C, though it's much more comfortable keeping it above -10 -- -5 or so.

Some heavier Thinsulate gloves were always enough for me. Maybe a pair of those thin fabric cheapies underneath. Boots were just my regular winter boots. I think they all say "comfortable" down to -40C at this point. Comfortable is probably overselling it, but I still have all of my toes. I don't remember my glasses ever really fogging up until I'd get inside. I don't like things on my face, so usually just a hat wit…

Thanks!

None of my cycling / running gloves cut it. I didn't get to buying heavier winter gloves last season. Layering gloves, using hardware-store work and waterproof gloves has also come up. Key is to combine insulation, a wind/vapour barrier, and possibly something rugged on the outside against wear/falls. I can't find the reference I had in mind, though this one is similar: https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-b...>.

Feet aren't as much an issue for me, but insulated booties would be good. I have a pair, but they didn't fit over my most recent cycling shoes. I did find a lower-profile older pair recently, might get lucky with those.

I wear a Spandex balaclava, which tends to direct breath toward my specs. That's also a problem walking in cold weather (which I also do a lot of, particularly when my glasses fog too much to ride ;-), and I'm leaning toward over-the-specs ski goggles or something along those lines.

Power to you though!

Re: Big Banana Car

#85

Post by 0xbadcafebee »

I hosted Steve on my couch (remember Couchsurfing?) when he was taking his Big Banana Car to a local art festival. Awesome guy, awesome car. I got to ride along for a bit. It was thrilling to see every single person's face light up as soon as they saw it, like a moving happiness machine. I hope somebody sees this and decides to make their own bit of whimsy

Re: Big Banana Car

#88

Post by n4r9 »

harwoodr wrote: post #19

I used to drive a 1991 Suzuki Cappuccino - a tiny right-hand drive kei sports car. The first couple of years I drove it, the police pulled me over on a regular basis - no tickets issued but lots of questions asked. One time while I was waiting for a light, an officer knocked on my window (which is somewhat startling)... I rolled it down and he excitedly asked "What kind of car is this?!" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…

It's pleasantly surprising how much positive vibes you can get driving an unusual car. On a business trip last year, I arrived late at night to the hotel and there was a rank of the smallest cars I'd ever seen:

https://www.drive.com.au/news/microlino-battery-electric-bub...

The next morning I was able to hire one out to travel to the venue. At a pitstop on the way, another driver followed me into the carpark and excitedly asked me where I found the car so that he could go get one too.

To be honest, it wasn't a comfortable or easy drive. The speed topped out at 90kph and the steering felt gravelly. But it was fun getting in and out of the front of the car.

Re: Big Banana Car

#89

Post by titanomachy »

forinti wrote: post #56
harwoodr wrote: post #19

I used to drive a 1991 Suzuki Cappuccino - a tiny right-hand drive kei sports car. The first couple of years I drove it, the police pulled me over on a regular basis - no tickets issued but lots of questions asked. One time while I was waiting for a light, an officer knocked on my window (which is somewhat startling)... I rolled it down and he excitedly asked "What kind of car is this?!" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…

That's just not enough motive to waste someone's time. And, no offense intended, that car is not that interesting. I guess policing must be boring.

It’s notable mostly for being tiny. With a human for scale: (sorry, it’s an instagram link)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNI1TfAxyIZ/?utm_source=ig_we...

Re: Big Banana Car

#90

Post by bell-cot »

init2null wrote: post #14

Every time he gets pulled over for a selfie it's an abuse of power. If he can't ignore it, they shouldn't be doing it. Wait for a random encounter in a parking lot or gas station like the rest of us.

Do some reading on all the 1000X-worse abuses of police power which are sadly routine in America.

Banana cars getting pulled over for selfies is a massive improvement.

Post reply on HN