@damien: A quick, rough check of statistics indicates the average work/home commute in England is around 8 miles; the average work/home commute in the US is 30 miles. The distances we travel daily are completely different animals.
As an example, up until a few years ago, I was commuting 80 miles one way to work. What began as an hour and ten-minute drive turned into two and a half hours – each way.
My car was at the mechanic’s shop for a month once, so I had to rely on public transportation, which isn’t nearly as efficient and ubiquitous as it is in England. My commute time using public transportation was four hours one way. That’s a ride from my wife to the bus stop (six miles), the bus to the nearest train station (40 miles away), the train to the nearest station to my work, then another bus to my work (10 miles).
So, it’s all relative.