Verry strange GET behaviour

Been having a problem accessing a variable that is passed on a URL. I've been developing PHP for years and this makes no seance. The variable I am trying to access in the script is $_section. I put the following code at the beginning (before anything else apart from <?) echo "!$REQUEST_URI!$_section!"; I get the following output !/adultdyslexia.org/quiz.php?_menu=TOP&issue=1&_section=QUIZ&gen=Y!! So why is $_section blank! Ben -- **************************************************************** * Ben Edwards Tel +44 (0)1179 553 551 ICQ 42000477 * * Homepage - nothing of interest here http://gurtlush.org.uk * * Webhosting for the masses http://www.serverone.co.uk * * Critical Site Builder http://www.criticaldistribution.com * * online collaborative web authoring content management system * * Get alt news/views films online http://www.cultureshop.org * * i-Contact Progressive Video http://www.videonetwork.org * * Fun corporate graphics http://www.subvertise.org * * Bristol Indymedia http://bristol.indymedia.org * * Bristol's radical news http://www.bristle.org.uk * ****************************************************************