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[Psychology researchers at Berkeley] videotaped 100 undergraduate students who didn't know each other, and studied their body language during one-minute gaps in conversation.

The results were clear: Students from a higher socio- economic background were more likely to be rude during the silence. They would doodle, fidget or start grooming themselves. Less-privileged students made far more effort to engage with the other person, making "I'm interested" signals such as laughing or raising eyebrows.

In short, the richer people were a lot ruder, while the poor were a lot more polite.

No comment.

Ok, one comment: I don't think it has anything to do with politeness. In my experience, many wealthy people simply don't take interest in or have any awareness of the world around them outside of a very small circle, which in many cases is limited to just themselves. Which, actually, come to think of it, is kind of impolite, I guess. In a way.