Asleep at the wheel/switch
Not paying attention to a situation, so that something bad happens
Longman Dictionary
Origin and Etymology of Sleeping at the Wheel
The idiom asleep at the wheel originated from the simple and dangerous reality of falling asleep while driving, which can obviously lead to serious accidents. The phrase then took on a broader, metaphorical meaning. Now, we use it to describe anyone not adequately doing their duty or not paying attention to what’s important.
While asleep at the wheel originates from driving and vehicle operation, asleep at the switch is a railroad term. But they both carry the same message of neglect and can usually be used interchangeably.
1 The Post Office Scandal: who’s to blame for Britain’s greatest miscarriage of justice?
10 jan 2024 The News Agents
Why are more than 700 postmasters still trying to clear their names and access even the most basic compensation more than two decades after they were falsely accused of theft?
On today’s episode Adeep Sethi tells us how his family warned the Post Office in 2002 about Horizon’s problems – he has the proof in a newspaper article. Twenty two years on, and torn apart, they are still fighting for justice.
We ask Tory MP and campaigner David Davis whether British justice has failed.
A spokesperson for Fujitsu – who rolled out the Horizon system – said: “Fujitsu has apologised for its role in their suffering. Fujitsu is fully committed to supporting the Post Office Horizon IT statutory Inquiry in order to understand what happened and to learn from it. Out of respect for the Inquiry process, it would be inappropriate for Fujitsu to comment further at this time.”
And how did Helen Harrison – partner of disgraced Tory MP Peter Bone – get selected as the candidate for his newly vacated seat of Wellingborough? It’s a News Agents mystery.
2 THIS is the Epstein list question we SHOULD be asking
3 jan 2024
Surprise, surprise … a court has delayed the release of over 150 names mentioned in Jeffrey Epstein-related court documents. Allegedly, former president Bill Clinton was one of the “Doe’s” who would have been unmasked. But while this is disturbing, Glenn believes there’s an even darker scandal that the media is not covering: “Stop asking who’s involved in the Epstein black book case,” Glenn says. “Start asking, “who has the information?” Glenn recently spoke to one man — former Trump intelligence official Kash Patel — who claims to have the answer, and it suggests a disturbing reality: Is the FBI blocking the release of Epstein’s “little black book?”
3 Post Office Board knew about Horizon system flaws and exclusive document show insurers were alerted
18 jan 2024
As the Post Office Inquiry continues to hear testimony, more and more details are coming to light about who knew what when.
Back in 2019, the Post Office spent at least a-hundred-million pounds still defending the Horizon system when more than five hundred subpostmasters won their landmark settlement.
Tonight, we’ve seen documents that appear to show that the Post Office Board was aware of the Horizon system’s failures back in 2013 – indeed it was so worried about a potential miscarriage of justice that it alerted its insurers.
4 “Asleep On Duty?” Why Didn’t The Government Notice Post Office Prosecutions? | Good Morning Britain
Back to menu IMPORTENT CONTENT Listening recommended Must ***
9 jan 2024
In the wake of the Post Office scandal dominating headlines following the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates VS The Post Office’, we question with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride about what the government’s current plans are to make amends and compensate victims, and why the government weren’t aware of the scandal and false post office prosecutions sooner?
Broadcast on 09/01/24
At minute 4:
What is the culpability of Fujitsu, the company responsible for this particular system? Once conclusions are drawn regarding that, it will be up to government ministers to decide who should bear the responsibility. However, I don’t believe there is any working assumption at the moment that it will simply be the taxpayer. I must emphasize the need for swift and expedited action on this sensitive matter, as discussions are already underway.
Your government has been in place since 2010, and this miscarriage of justice persisted until 2015. At what point did a minister examine these convictions? It’s crucial to highlight that the government is the sole shareholder in the Post Office and effectively runs its operations. As you are responsible for it, hundreds of innocent people were prosecuted. In the words of David Davis, your colleague, a single lie led to these grave consequences. How is it that the government failed to notice or take action while you were seemingly asleep on duty?”
5 Government signed off on Post Office executives bonuses
Back to menu IMPORTENT CONTENT Listening recommended Must ***
12 feb 2024
We know it’s been called the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.
We know it ruined the lives of thousands of subpostmasters.
But there is still plenty we don’t know about the Post Office Scandal – questions that are currently being probed at an Inquiry.
When it was revealed that Post Office executives were being paid bonuses just to take part in that inquiry, there was outrage.
Now, we can reveal that the government signed off on those bonuses.
Produced by Nanette van der Laan.
6 Keys into garbage truck prank
27 mrt 2011
Parking lot attendants throw car keys into a garbage truck in front of the car owners. A presentation of the Just For Laughs Gags.
The funny hidden camera pranks show for the whole family. Juste pour rire les gags, l’émission de caméra caché la plus comique de la télé!