LINTON, IN - Almost overnight, a mysterious figure dubbed "Banana Man" became a local celebrity, simply by riding his bicycle around town dressed head-to-toe in a banana costume. Now its grown into national headlines after "On the Road With Steve Hartman" from CBS flew out to meet our very own "Banana Man".
It all started back in September in our small city of Linton. A Facebook post on a local community page shares a picture of a person dressed as a banana riding a bicycle around town.
Unbeknownst to many at first, the person behind the peel is just a local kid. Like clockwork, he appears after school, riding through familiar neighborhoods and cheerfully waving at passersby.
Though he never speaks, a deliberate choice to guard his secret identity, he happily interacts with his fans. Banana Man regularly stops to take photos and even hands out personalized "autographs": hand-drawn cards of a banana signed simply with the letters "BM."
Credit: Mary Zygai
In an era where social media usually tears down the walls of anonymity, the 5,000 residents of Linton have taken the opposite approach. After an initial wave of online curiosity, the community collectively decided to protect the boy's privacy, valuing the simple, childlike joy and refreshing innocence he brings to the town in an otherwise chaotic world.
That small-town viral charm recently caught the attention of a major network. Producers from CBS’s On the Road with Steve Hartman, a segment known for highlighting heartwarming stories across the country, reached out to local community groups, including us at Linton News.
"I told them what little I knew," Adam said, noting that he had met Banana Man himself and received one of his signature postcards. "I emphasized that it was very important they maintained his privacy and anonymity, as the public very much wants to protect him. They absolutely agreed with that."
After connecting with the boy's guardians, a CBS crew flew all the way from New York City to Linton this November. They interviewed local citizens, Adam, and Banana Man himself to capture the magic of the story.
It’s a testament to the gravitational pull of pure, childlike fun, that a nationwide news network would fly across the country to cover a kid in a fruit suit riding a bike.
The community is eagerly anticipating his national television debut. The segment is set to broadcast on the CBS evening show, On the Road with Steve Hartman, this upcoming Friday, November 6th. Until then, Linton hopes Banana Man continues to pedal on, bringing joy to their streets one wave at a time.
