snippety snip

Any hints and tips for a sensible strategy will be gratefully
received.

Hmm, difficult one. Personally, I'd comply when commuting to work - no use
bringing your employer and colleagues into the slinging match.

Then start getting arsey: have people take photos and videos of the pair of
you on the tandem; write Haiku poetry dedicated to your love of cycling
during the beautiful seasons, what with the falling leaves 'n' all; hell,
get dedications of tandem cycling love from the natives. Do all this, bundle
up a big package and send it to the beaurocrat on a weekly basis.

Then, once the guy's sufficiently vitriolic, sneak on him to his boss.

Either way, should be fun.

Tom.