When they muster the nerve actually to go out, usually about once a year according to Sue, Joe is so mobbed by autograph seekers that the two can hardly finish a meal. The dilemma is nothing new for the Paternos. Mary Kathryn Hort recalled family vacations where her father could only spend a few minutes at the beach with his family. Before long, someone would recognize him and mobs would arrive, forcing Joe to escape to the beach house. Jay remembered having trouble talking to his father when the two would go out to dinner because there would almost always be someone there to interrupt them.
Nothing's worse than being grabbed.
That's why once in awhile we escape. Sue said she and her husband go to far away places, such as Europe, to get away from the masses. They try to plan their trips at times of the year when they are least in danger of running into other American tourists. Despite his father's frustration at not being able to walk around in public like a normal person, Jay said Joe would never be cruel to an autograph seeker. I think he handles it all in stride and he understands that fans are really what makes the program what it is.