I was treated just fine in Paris. I dressed up a little bit, I treated everyone politely, and I practiced my terrible French on them.

Another thing that causes the reputation is that in America, when you go to a restaurant, you stand at the host stand and wait to be seated. It appears that in France, you don't get seated until you greet the host, because they assume that until you say something you aren't ready to be seated.

Americans can't do pubs either, without education ;).