Sun.com Customer Experience and Stuff: Notes from the Sun.com customer experience team.

I keep hearing from all sides that "Barry Bonds is the biggest jerk in baseball" and I guess if you discount Ty Cobb, Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, George Steinbrenner,  then that's true given his recent media performances.  And, it's probably a good thing that he has declared a moratorium in speaking to the press.

But let me tell you a story about the kindness and patience I saw firsthand last year when this sports superstar was away from the flashing cameras and the microphones stuck down his throat.

Last year I was in Aspen with my family at Boogies, a local burger joint. Next to us was a huge table set up for probably 12-14 people. We had just ordered, when an entourage entered, and then close behind a huge athletic guy.  We did a double-take... "Who is that?  Wait... is that Barry Bonds?  Cool!"  We whispered to ourselves. They sat down at the big table. Barry was sitting almost in our laps.

Now, there's an unspoken rule in Aspen that you don't molest the celebrities. They're there trying to escape the glare LA, or New York, or Riyadh, or wherever else they come from. So, if you see Jack Nicholson outside trimming his hedges or Kelsey Grammer walking down Hyman street or Bill Joy reading his email at a coffee shop, please don't take pictures or ask for an autograph. While you can nod or do a slight wave, it's considered more polite that you pretend not to recognize the celebs at all.

OK, a lot of visitors apparently don't know this rule about the celebs.  Because as soon as Barry sat down, a woman and her two kids came over her her camera, and made him get up, walk around the table, and pose for a pic with the little ones.  Then she made someone in the entourage take a picture of the four of them with her in it.  Oh... and could Barry autograph his napkin, please?  So now Barry has no napkin, but at least he can sit down again.

He begins to look at the menu.  But up ventures another tourist, kids in tow. "Mr Bonds, could we get your picture?"  Barry gets up, poses for 5 or 6 shots, then sits down again.  This exact scenario repeats for several more minutes, and somehow Barry and the rest of the table manage to order and get soft drinks and shakes brought over.  With every other sip of his soda there was a new visitor requesting autographs, pictures, or both.  A line forms.  At this point, Barry gives up and just drinks his soda standing up so he can pose for all the pictures.

The food arrives.  Barry takes a bite... and another fan comes up.  Could he pose for a picture?  "Not, not at the chair... the background's wrong... how about over to the side of the table instead... great, thanks so much Mr. Bonds."

I hope that Barry was able eventually to finish his lunch.  We had to go, and in true Aspen style just gave a knowing smile and a slight wave as we departed. And wondered what it would be like to have to put up with this kind of non-stop attention morning, noon, and night.

Now, ask yourself: If this was your life, where you couldn't finish a meal without being accosted continually and now when the fans and media give you the same treatment, accelerated, on a topic you probably don't really want to talk about... wouldn't you be a little grumpy too?