In news:400e7c6c$0$586$44c9b20d@news3.asahi-net.or.jp,
James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> radiated into the
WorldWideWait:

> Well, it hasn't been yet. But it has been threatened. This is at a
> Govt funded (quasi-independent, the management structure is
> somewhat obscure) scientific research lab in Japan
> (http://www.jamstec.go.jp/frsgc/eng/). The main goal of the lab is
> the understanding and prediction of climate change, and it issues
> plenty of warm fuzzy statemente about "Protecting our Mother
> Earth", but when the bureaucratic chips are down, it seems that it
> is more important to issue diktats and invent rules to outlaw one
> of the most environmentally-friendly behaviours possible.
>
> The real reason behind this is that my wife and I are recidivist
> criminals. Yes, we ride a tandem (we both work at the same lab). It
> seems that way back in the mists of time, some careless bureaucrat
> drafted a law that was intended to prevent more than one person
> riding on a standard bicycle, but which accidentally included
> tandems in the prohibition. (Despite the law, carrying a passenger
> is very common, and of course no-one enforces such a petty nonsense
> anyway.) Some prefectures have actually changed the law to allow
> tandems, but unfortunately not the one where we live and work.
>
> Anyway, we rode a tandem before we came to Japan, and continued
> after our arrival a few years ago. Some bureaucrat noticed this
> immediately, and made disapproving noises, but we ignored him - he
> refused to give us an official FRSGC badge for the bike, but we
> found this apparent reprimand surprisingly easy to cope with. Three
> years later, and he (or perhaps some replacement) is back with a
> vengeance. He has insisted that we cannot continue to ride the
> tandem to work. If we continue, he will ban all cycling for all
> members of staff. The justification for this escalation (and
> whether is it in principle legally possible) is not clear, and we
> haven't told any other cyclists yet. We don't want to stop riding
> the tandem, as it is faster, safer and easier than riding single
> bikes, and more fun too. People recognise us on our regular route,
> and are friendly towards us, plus we've got a good tandem (um...3
> tandems) and no suitable single bikes. Every day we pass the same
> police boxes, we have even met some policemen and of course they
> are not bothered about us "flouting" such a petty, trivial and
> obviously accidental law.
>
> In Japan (in a clear contrast with the UK), the commute to work is
> partly the responsibility of the employer. For instance, an injury
> during the commute counts as a industrial accident, and the employer
> must pay for subsequent medical bills and sick pay (the latter
> which for non-work-related injury and illness does not appear to be
> a statutory requirement, or even part of our generally reasonable
> working conditions). It is not clear to me why this responsibility
> should give them the right to dictate methods of travel to work,
> but I have heard of another company where driving to work was
> banned, and someone was fired after having a crash and getting
> caught.
>
> In the UK, I would happily tell the bureaucrat to fuck off, but
> unfortunately workers' rights are still a rather foreign concept
> here and it is clear that any foreigner who kicks up too much of a
> fuss gets sent home in short order (I have already caused more than
> my share of trouble, and now is definitely not a good time to start
> any more). Bureaucrats aside, I like it here, and am not in a rush
> to leave. But I don't take kindly to small-minded petty jobsworths
> trying to push me around. Any hints and tips for a sensible
> strategy will be gratefully received.

He must have a boss and that boss must have a boss and...
Keep going up with appointments wherein you point out that this is
abysmal stupidity.
It's just the sort of story that newspapers would love, especially
with all names & titles & quotes (when I do something like this, I
have a microrecorder running in my breast pocket).