British Standards

The petition is entitled Make British Standards Free to download and the explanatory notes say

"To make British Standards free to download, this is to help Industry comply to the latest regulations without having to pay extra just to check the regulations"

This is certainly a dmaned good idea, it's just spectacularly badly phrased ...

I thought, when I clicked on it, it was something mad about British Pride and Cultural Qualities and the sorts of things that are talked about so much without our ever knowing what they actually mean. Citizenship and all that.

Painting Britain White

The petition is entitled to paint all the roofs in britain white and the explanatory notes read

"As the polar ice reflexs light back into space, which keeps the planet cool. If the ice is melting why not paint all the roofs in Britain white this way it would help cool the planet and help fight against globe warming"

Now, I have no idea about the science of this. For all I know it might be quite reasonable.

One major point, though. The petition in full reads We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to to paint all the roofs in britain white.

Oh, please. Please. I want to see Tony Blair personally painting all the rooves in the country with white paint ...!

Pudsey!

The petition is entitled Stop the relocation of Pudsey to Leeds and the explanatory notes read

HMRC proposes to move everyone in HMRC in Pudsey, West Yorkshire to Leeds City Centre.

This will result in increased hardship for our staff members, loss of income to the local economy in these towns and will increase congestion in Leeds and add pressure on public transport.

Now, this petition looks pretty damned reasonable to me, actually. Not that I know anything about the specific situation, but assuming the Revenue and Customs are planning that move, the disadvantages mentioned seem quite likely. Publicising the matter via the PM's petitions sounds like a good plan.

What a shame the title's so comic, though ... One has mental pictures of a load of workmen carefully digging round Pudsey and carrying it on the back of artics into the centre of Leeds ...

Doctors' Ties

The petition is entitled ban the wearing of neckties by doctors in NHS hospitals, and the explanatory notes say

Neckties are a major source of infection in our hospitals. Whilst examining patients doctors often have their ties dragged across the patient's body and bedclothes. Doctors then go from patient to patient taking germs with them. Neckties are almost never cleaned by men and this is a clear public health issue of the utmost importance!

Their are more people who die needlessly in hospital from infections that they caught INSIDE the hospital than die in road traffic accidents each year for the whole country. This is tragic and it's time to do something about it."

Actually, then, this is quite a reasonable petition. I believe it to be true. It makes logical sense. Once you read the explanation. Lesson for the petition creators: if you want browsers of the Health, well-being and care category of petitions to look at your petitions instead of sniggering at them, make the title stand up as a logical thing in and of itself. Please!