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The article looks at the ancient practice of individually petitioning the government in China. To bring their cases before the relevant ministry, many journey to Beijing, where they may spend several months camping out near the city's southern bus station. In 2004, the government reported a 60% rise in the number of petitioners seeking to circumvent the courts. And yet, according to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, only two out of every thousand petitioners are successful. In an effort to prune back the petitions system and prevent local officials from retaliating against those who use it, the government is due to introduce reforms on May 1st. While free speech remains suppressed in China, the petitioners offer the government in Beijing a rare opportunity to gauge the mood of the provinces.