The whole thread is stupid. In both nations there are nice people and rude people.
Interested in this thread. It is stupid in a way - because of the different levels and types/contexts of politeness. But....
I was amazed when working at university in Silesia that staff would enter my lecture, look around the room, then exit without a word. ( That irritated the **** out of me at the time). Later I realised that it was a different form of politeness - if they had said "Oh! I'm awfully sorry! I was looking for so-and-so - you don't happen to know where he is do you...?", that would have been rude in their view (better to get out with minimum distraction for all involved)
All you learners of English know from your natural English lessons that the French are to blame for this convoluted diplomacy followed by the optional Basil Fawlty genefluction and reverse exit.....
Horses for courses. There's plenty that irritates the bollox out of me - but it doesn't matter where I am - with my own kind or on some desert island - eg: the flies in the greatest place on earth - Western Scotland if you're interested - do my nut. Us English are no different to anybody else. I seem rude to other passengers because we Brits don't accept a Gdynia trolley bus driver being heavy on the brakes, whilst the Polish 99.999999999 majority suffer in silence :) I can only be tolerant after the event and suppose it's because they haven't been trained to drive the damn thing properly (the only people who do drive those things properly happen to be women.... love 'em)