Why is it that bailiffs are so arrogant and rude if you are polite and
friendly to them. It is not just me who thinks this, but a lot of people I
know.

If you are polite and friendly to them, they are arrogant pricks. If you
treat them like they are a scummy, no-body, then they are nice!

Is it that they are power-crazed and see anyone who is polite and friendly
as a weak target to get a power trip off?

As an example, there is a bailiff as Richworth Linear with a big scar on his
face, and for years I have always been polite and friendly with him, and all
I got was attitude. When I was abrupt and treated him like he was a useless
no-body and he tried to be nice! According to Alvin Roy (bloke who owns
Linear), the bailiffs are not like the usual 'Gestapo-trained bailiffs' and
'don't give the anglers a hard time'! Hello? Wake up!