Well-known downtown banana bandit is no more

Perry Brian West, who became well-known for patroling the downtown Montreal area of St. Catherine near Bishop and Crescent streets wielding a banana as a comical way to solicit cash, has died in Nova Scotia at the age of 66. 

 West was born and died in Africville, Nova Scotia and was the youngest of 15 children of Roy and Lena, only two of their kids are now still alive. 

Since he has a ton of relatives I won't say anything negative about him, which is easy because I don't thave anything negative to say about him, other than that I'm not generally a huge fan of beggars in city streets. 

 West became known for strolling the streets about 20 years ago and pointing a banana at people he encountered in his attempt to solicit handouts. People found him cute and lovable for it and it seems just about everybody knew of him. 

I'm not sure if he tried soliciting money using other produce. I imagine cucumbers might not be as effective. I wonder if he tried juggling grapes or apples. Maybe he could have earned more with lettuce on his head. I guess we'll never know.

He was known to buy drinks for friends and made quite a good haul from tourists. 

  I'm not sure if I ever met him or not. A few years before people started talking about the banana stunt I sat with a guy on the lawn of that church near Bishop and St. Catherine, who I suspect was the same guy. He had a guitar and a girlfriend. I asked him to play. He admitted he couldn't play. He couldn't play the guitar, I mean, not sure whether he could play the girlfriend. I recall this guy as being quite handsome but I'm not sure if it's the same guy.