The thing that I notice most as an American living in England is the overwhelming amount of bureaucracy in every aspect of life here, and how it's just taken in stride as though nothing can be done about it.

You go to the swimming pool and try to pay your 3 pounds to go swimming, but they can't give you the blue armband for the 10:00 session because it's only 9:40, but they can give you the yellow armband for the 9:00 session, but that means you'll have to get out of the pool when the 9:00 session ends, but you're free to go upstairs and have a cup of tea until 9:55.

Me: "But that's insane. The pool is open all day"

Woman: [look of non-understanding, since this is how they've done things for 30 years therefore it is unquestionably correct, and nobody has ever complained before, and certainly one should know not to come to the swimming pool near the end of the hour, and who wouldn't welcome the opportunity to have a nice cup of tea?]

Me: OK, I'll take the armband for the 9:00 session, and keep 3 extra pounds in my trunks in case somebody asks me to leave in ten minutes so that I can walk back here and pay you again then.

Repeat that experience for every interaction with every business or government entity you deal with ever. You just want to give up and never leave the house. Until the internet goes down and you have to deal with British Telecom, at which point you start looking for property in France.