Trying to imagine the culture shock immigrants to the UK get when, for the first time, they encounter someone like an accountant asking for their electricity bill.
Because, fellow Brits, I have to inform you that that's a bit weird.
It is though.
@goatsarah Yeah, there's a lot to be said for the lack of bureaucracy in the UK but the lack of common ID cards is questionable. They'd sure be convenient but, OTOH, the whole “papers please” attitude is not one we'd like many, including this, government to take too far.
Meanwhile, in the US you get a “secret” password assigned at birth which you can't change [¹] and which you have to use with lots of different enterprises. And, somehow, people there don't think that's bonkers.
[¹] Except under limited circumstances.