I used to be close to what you describe as a "Cherry Bomb", but over time I've calmed down, but mainly just got a lot more tired.

Certainly people who act like your Cherry Bomb have some problems (and before anyone mentions it, yes I do realise I'm implicating myself), but that reaction is (obviously) completely justified from their point of view. I'm curious to know if you ever got around to asking the Cherry Bomb exactly what is was about the customers that really got to him.

I can certainly relate from my own experience - at one point in my career I was very sensitive about criticism, since I had received a few comments along the lines of "You think you know about computers, why don't you make it work? You aren't any good, are you, haha.". There's nothing like a good stab in the self confidence at 19 years of age. You can imagine my responses in that sort of situation. Not pretty, and very Cherry Bomb like.

If, as (I think) you are saying, the customers took the line that "Your system is broken 'cause it won't do my report", I'm not suprised that the guy flipped. A statement that is in any way similar to that attacks someone on personal, professional and emotional levels all at the same time. Of course, if he wants to call himself a pro, he should flip quietly and then go and swap the sugar and salt in the break room or something relatively harmless.

I'm reading a lot between the lines there, but I have noticed that most IT people just get irritated by stupidity. For a real explosion, someone has to mix personal attacks in as well.

And I'm going to leave the heavily beaten issue of politeness in the monastary alone until I wrote my amazing content enhancing PerlMonks browser.

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Jeremy
I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.