Politeness
From Seoul 32nd in Hospitality:

The Reader's Digest survey looked at three issues:

Reporters performed three experiments: "door tests" (would anyone hold the door open for them?), "document drops" (who would help them retrieve a pile of dropped papers?) and "service tests" (how many salesclerks would thank them for a purchase?).

I hate to sound like a relativist, but I have to take issue with these criteria. Sure, somebody in Seoul might let a door slam in your face, but that same person might volunteer to hold your bag on a bus or subway if you are standing and he is sitting. Politeness is universal, but how it manifests itself varies from culture to culture.

I spent a year in KL and don't remember anything particularly impolite about the people there. In fact, I found everyone quite friendly and helpful. The Brits called the Malays "Nature's gentlemen" after all. I visited São Paulo and found the people quite nice but the city itself pretty scary. I visited New York City twice and Toronto on scores of occasions and was never impressed by the politeness of either place.

The full list can be found here: London fails civility test in survey of world cities.

[first article via The Lost Nomad; second article via LewRockwell.com]