I got it to work thanks for the help!
<dtml-call "REQUEST.set('userid', '979226100')">
<dtml-with "_[userid]">
<dtml-var attribute>
</dtml-with>
it was the cobination of no quotes around the the userid AND setting the
variable as a string not an integer!
arrrggghh... thank godness, now I can have lunch.
josh on