Question
found a hard pod on my walk.  it's about 6'tall, very hard and has split showing long "ropey" yellow fruit.  what is it?

Answer
I would really need to see an image Sheila, but it sounds like a "Queen Palm Pod" that someone must have cut off and discarded where you walk. What happens, is the pod breaks open (while still attached to the Palm.) and an inflorescence spray hangs down,,,then this turns into a seed pod which eventually casts the seeds down and some of them will germinate into new Palm seedlings.