Banana Man of Linton, Indiana Breaks Silence: “I Like Making People Smile
A boy in a banana suit who has been zipping around Linton, Indiana, on a bike has finally spoken. In his first interview, the town's
A boy in a banana suit who has been zipping around Linton, Indiana, on a bike has finally spoken. In his first interview, the town's masked-in-fruit "superhero" said he does it for one reason: he likes making people smile.
Known as Banana Man, he started appearing around town a few months ago. Videos shared on social media appeared to show a boy of about middle school age pedaling through the streets in a full banana costume.
Who is Banana Man?
His identity is being protected. CBS News disguised his voice for the interview, and by all accounts he had never said a word in public before.
Silence is part of the act. Residents describe him as a blur on two wheels.
"Just boom, like a yellow streak goes by," one Linton resident said. "And everybody is like, 'It's the Banana Man.'" Another resident summed up the look in a few words: "Little bitty legs and tights on."
Why the banana?
The costume began as a joke. His mother bought it at Goodwill, he said, and he put it on and rode his bike.
The reaction surprised him. "I saw that it made a lot of people smile, and I like making people smile," he said.
The role also echoes an old dream. When he was younger, he wanted to be a superhero. "But I didn't expect to be a banana," he said.
A town takes notice
Sightings and rumors spread quickly in Linton, and the videos pushed the character beyond the town's streets. Reporters traveled there to find out who was behind the costume and why, though getting him to talk was not easy.
For now, the yellow streak keeps rolling, and the boy inside the suit remains anonymous.
