# I'm available, can't you see my bananas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010 "2000-11-20T19:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/1 "2000-11-20T19:00:12Z")
[In a recent Snopes article about the history of the shopping cart,](http://128.242.205.65/business/origins/shopcart.htm) they claim that: “In some parts of the United States, hanging a bunch of bananas through the wires of one’s shopping cart has at times been a way for a male shopper to indicate his desire to meet up with women in the market for a bit of hanky-panky. Similarly, the presence of a pineapple in a woman’s cart is said to indicate an interest in meeting a bananas-fostered man.” Having never heard this bit of lore before, I’m wondering is this true (Google searches turned up nothing)? What “parts of the United States” does this occur in? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/2 "2000-11-20T19:29:04Z")
God help any poor woman who just wants to eat her damn pineapple in peace. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/3 "2000-11-20T19:34:53Z")
“Really love your pineapples, wanna jiggle your cart” … nah. ---
**Author:** ![Meephead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Meephead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meephead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/4 "2000-11-20T19:45:02Z")
Do you find my banana appealing? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/5 "2000-11-20T19:56:23Z")
Great. Now you guys have stuck images of a “Saturday” sans cottage cheese in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/6 "2000-11-20T19:56:34Z")
I’ve never heard of anything like this. It must only be common in parts of the country where men & women are afraid to make eye contact with each other. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/7 "2000-11-20T19:57:35Z")
Someone’s bound to ask- “Saturday” = healthy Sundae alternative shown in ads between Saturday morning cartoons. Consisted of half a peeled banana mounted in a pineapple ring surrounded by cottage cheese. Bleech. ---
**Author:** ![RainbowDragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@RainbowDragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainbowDragon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/8 "2000-11-20T20:31:42Z")
From “Designing Women”: Two men, one cart, fresh pasta … Girl you are wasting your time there ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/9 "2000-11-21T01:56:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mojo \* > Someone’s bound to ask- “Saturday” = healthy Sundae alternative shown in ads between Saturday morning cartoons. Consisted of half a peeled banana mounted in a pineapple ring surrounded by cottage cheese. Bleech. Nope, yogurt. And don’t forget the grape! * * * _Put a half a banana in a pineapple ring Add yogurt, creamy smooth Pop a grape on top and that’s A Saturday for you…_ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/10 "2000-11-21T03:05:23Z")
Hey, is that a banana in your cart, or are you just happy to see me? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/11 "2000-11-21T04:56:53Z")
Strange as it may be, I have actually heard the thing about the pineapple. Not that this helps anyone at all because damned if I can remember _where_ I heard it! However, the banana thing is new to me. I would suggest Freud as the originator. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/12 "2000-11-21T05:15:36Z")
Pineapple does not make sense. If bananas emulate penises, a couple of grapefruits would do (or apples for small- breasted women. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/13 "2000-11-21T05:17:21Z")
So that’s what that was about. He was indicating his desire to meet the women in the market… Standing in line at the Montrose Kroger, this guy started chatting with me. He was bald with a big moustache, wearing black boots, leather trousers and tack, and all he was buying was a dozen roses and a bunch of bananas. You wouldn’t believe what I _had_ thought… ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/14 "2000-11-21T06:46:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > \*\*“Really love your pineapples, wanna jiggle your cart” … nah. \*\* I thought it was “I really love your peaches, want to shake your tree” [sub]No smartass comments whether I’m a picker, grinner, lover, sinner, joker, smoker or midnight toker, please.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![KV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@KV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KV)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/15 "2000-11-21T12:44:38Z")
so what does one do if they want to meet someone of the same sex? tie some cucumbers together between a watermelon? ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2000, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-available-cant-you-see-my-bananas/42010/16 "2000-11-21T15:11:27Z")
Mea culpa, Kat. I must’ve been confusing it with nachos, Flanders-style.