Driving on icy roads during a winter storm may feel sometimes feel like hitting a banana in Mario Kart.

This Texas driver hit the highway during the freeze and he sees something so peculiar that he had to film it. 

TikTok user Heavenly (@heavenlygao) noticed a Toyota Corolla Sedan with a banana duct taped to it while driving.

“ It’s freezing in Texas and the first thing I see on the road is a guy with a banana duct tape to his car…” the man said in his video, which as of Jan. 27, has over 4,200 views. 

So, why would someone tape a banana to their vehicle? Is it some sort of secret, weather related message?

Why Would Someone Duct Tape a Banana to a Car?

There is no weather-related or mechanical reason as to why a person would duct-tape a banana to a Toyota Corolla. It doesn’t improve the car’s functionality, nor does it add anything to the vehicle. 

But, there’s a social reason why some drivers might tape bananas to their cars. For one, the banana might be a reference to an abstract 2019 art installation by Maurizio Cattelan. The installation, which was literally a banana duct taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million. Many who saw the original exhibit perceived it as a disruption of the art world’s “status quo.” Unlike the installation, however, a banana duct taped to a Toyota Corolla is unlikely to disrupt any conceptions within the automotive industry. 

While not an explanation for why a Toyota Corolla Sedan would have a banana taped to its rear bumper, there are apparently reasons as to why other car buyers would. Specifically, Dodge car owners have an “inside joke” with bananas taped to the front bumper of Dodge Challengers. A reddit user, r/phifal, explained that, “Challengers are among the Dodge cars that come with splitter guards for safer shipping. Yellow ones, like seen in the second pic of my link here, remind people of bananas. So “take the bananas off” is an often-heard, but not always very much appreciated tuning advice if the owner decided to leave them on. This guy here put some real bananas on instead to ridicule the whole thing.”

It’s worth noting that some car communities have their own “banana jokes,” in their inner circles. But, here’s no specific meme for Toyota owners related to banana bumpers. That means that the banana is probably just a non-specific, surrealist joke. 

Commenters Speculate Why The Driver Did This

According to the comment section, the banana may be a reference to an anime show. “Apparently it’s an anime thing,” they said. “I’m a huge weeb and I have never heard of that.” 

Potentially, the reference may be toward an anime called Banana Fish, although the show makes no obvious physical references to bananas in any concrete way. Instead, ‘Banana Fish’ refers to an imaginary narcotic that brainwashes its users in the show. It seems the anime explanation has other viewers just as stumped as Heavenly, providing little context for the duct taped yellow fruit’s origins. 

Other commenters referenced Mario Kart due to the icy conditions, a game where players can hold a split banana peel behind their vehicle to “avoid shells.” In that case, the banana may be a symbol to avoid any slides or crashes during inclement weather. 

How Can People Stay Safe on the Road in Places Like Texas?

United States citizens are experiencing an unprecedented freeze, which has left at least 15 people dead and 800,000 people without power as of Tuesday, Jan. 27. The freeze has closed highways  across the United States, with car crashes closing many major roads in Texas. 

But, there are still people who need to drive on roads in dangerous areas. Essential workers still have to make their way across lingering ice as frigid temperatures persist. While States have issued warnings that citizens stay off major roadways and avoid driving, many people will inevitably choose to drive in icy conditions. 

For those that do, it’s important to drive cautiously and slowly. Outlets like AccuWeather recommend not using cruise control on icy roads. They also advise that drivers should leave more distance between cars on the road. If a driver experiences traction slipping, they should not slam on their brakes. Instead, they should calmly take their foot off the gas and slowly move their wheel to ensure their car doesn’t continue sliding. 

We’ve reached out to Heavenly for more information about the banana and its message. We’ll let you know if he responds. 

@heavenlygao

♬ original sound – Heavenly