WOW thanks Moineau, thanks halls120 for your positive and sensible words about the French.
Being french myself and traveling the world all year round I meet all kind of people every where I go. I make a point of being open and friendly but I have been in situations where people are rude, unfriendly, unsocial and so on, particularly in big Metropolises where people tend to be stressed and busy with their lives (NYC, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, Paris and the list goes on)
So what? I get over it and go on with my life, and do not generalize this unhappy experience to a whole city, nation, race or gender for that matter.