He was minding his own business delivering napkins to a pub in Cambridge. But a Black Country van driver has now become an unlikely hit on the internet after being filmed receiving a furious dressing down by a councillor for parking illegally.
The angry scenes were captured on a mobile phone by a passer-by and have been viewed more than 2,000 times since being posted on the Google play website.
Click here to see the video footage.
These images show 34-year old Sancbinder Ram, of Bunkers Hill Lane, Bilston, being confronted by a cyclist shouting and making gestures when he stopped his van to make a delivery.
The clip starts with the white van parked up near a bar with both rear doors open, with Mr Ram standing behind the vehicle with a clipboard in one hand.
All seems calm until the rider, identified as Councillor Colin Rosentiel from Cambridge City Council, appears on the scene and starts shouting that he should not be there and that he is blocking a cycle lane.
He then slams one of the van doors shut, knocking Mr Ram off balance in the process.
The shocked driver is seen asking: “What are you doing?”, before the councillor reaches across and grabs hold of the second door, brushing his shoulder against Mr Ram’s arm.
As he slams that door shut it appears to make contact with the back of Mr Ram before the councillor continues to remonstrate with him, warning he is breaking the law and ordering him: “Go away – now.”
The incident happened before stunned passers-by on August 8 and Mr Ram has today been identified as the van driver.
He told the Express & Star he was “shocked” by his treatment and wants the councillor to apologise.
“Fair enough, I know I should not have parked there, but I had to drop something off and had nowhere else to go,” Mr Ram said.
“He came over and was well out of order. He started shouting at me in the street and slammed one of my doors so hard it almost knocked me over. “I was lucky someone filmed it and placed it on-line.
“I want him to apologise, because at the end of the day he was lucky I took it so calmly.
“I think I was shocked more than anything. There was no need to behave like that – it was out of order.”
Unrepentant Councillor Rosentiel said he does not recall any physical contact with Mr Ram.
He said: “It’s a moving traffic offence to stop in a cycle lane.
“The fact remains he should not have stopped there.
“He should not have blocked it, and should not have been making deliveries at 7.30am. He was unwilling to accept he should not be there,” added Councillor Rosentiel.
26 Comments
Serves him right he deserved the ticking off, He shouldn’t park in cycle lanes. Well done Councillor.
Before anybody says anything I’m a car driver not a cyclist.
Great stuff, it’s about time somebody had a go at these folks who park just where they want because it’s convenient for them. Too many drivers are ignoring parking restrictions. Wolverhampton has a lot of double yellow lines in suburban areas that are never enforced, even the ones outside police stations are ignored.
Good! It annoys me so much when people think they are above the law. Outside my house there are parking restrictions and people just ignore them even though wardens patrol often. I am a driver and I do not park illegally, I read the signs!!
A a van driver can i just point out something. WE quite often have big / bulky items that are not possible to be moved very far, very easily. Sometimes we have no choice to park where it may inconvenience others. but at most it is only for 5 or so minutes then were off again. and from what i saw in that clip. he wasnt even in a cycle lane.
Well now that is documented on film, I pressume the police will be prosecuting this white vanman??
And checking if he actualy holds a valid driving licence and comercial vehicle insurance?? Also if he was working legaly??
Sarah, did you notice the size of his van. What do you expect, him to park in a carpark and do his deliveries on foot.
Has this councillor ever ridden his bike on a footpath, how would he like it if someone acting like an idiot attacked him if he was on the footpath.
I’m sure the driver could do the councillor for assualt.
I have to question whether your first correspondant, “Jon” should be driving. What is the councillor holding in his right hand? L:ast time you had an eye test was when?
There was no need for the councillor to slam the door in that way…
And how many people would have complained if they had no napkins to wipe up with after they had eaten????
Us drivers can’t win either way, can we? Lets do the public a favour then. Take all lorries and vans off the streets for one day…. You bet there would be a riot when the shops are empty by lunchtime.
ok he admitted he was not supposed to have parked there but there was no need for that level of abuse and ‘yes’ it was out of order to knock the van door into the vandriver the councillor is wayout of his league and not a person I would want vote for…his behaviour was disgusting!!!! The van driver was trying to do his job but the councillor needs to reconsider his!
Great stuff! About time these clowns had a dressing down. To use modern internet terminology… Pwned!
Your bias is clear from the opening sentence: “He was minding his business”.
He was not “minding his business”. He was parked illegally. Parking restrictions are usually there for a reason - to ensure the safety of road users. So, by parking illegally this ignorant and selfish little man was jeopardising the safety of others. Nice of you to take his side, Express & Star.
It reminds me of the opening line of a Smiths song: “He was minding his business, he was lifting some lead off”.
Please Express & Star, sack your rubbish wannabe journos and use machines to write your articles. Blatant bias such as this doesn’t demonstrate very high standards, does it?
I hardly think that Napkins count as big/bulky items.
Pure laziness by this driver and jolly good show that he got his come uppance.
As usual, the guilty party wants an apology.
Stuff him.
Well done Councillor!!
BTW I am a van driver!
Road rage is now common place, could this be the uprising of a new phenomenon called cyclist rage? We all value the right to live in a tolerant and civil society. Ok the van driver may have been guilty of parking illegally, however the video footage clearly shows that the driver had admitted his wrong doing and under the circumstances, kept his wits about him and was very calm. As for the councillor - a leading member of the community - his actions were totally wreckless and unjustified. Is this the sort of person who should be allowed to work as a representative of the people?
Typical - a suit riding a bike to work with his pen in his pocket being the heaviest thing he will lift that day. I am an engineer and have to get heavy tools onto premises which are too numerous to go on a trolley; I occasionally have to park illegally to do so. The people that make these glib comments are do-gooders that have never tried doing it themselves. If anyone had physically touched me and shouted at me like this man, I would have wrestled him the the floor, restrained him with cable ties and called the police (after moving my vehicle of course!!) lol
what hes a councillor!!!!
i cant believe that is the example he is showing, the driver should definately have acted on this and got the police involved, parked legally or not no one should act like this especially a COUNCILLOR, I think the driver did well keeping his cool i dont think i would of been able to myself
I would have had that Councillor done for common assault as it appears as he was slamming the door it hit the drivers back - and as the article says knocked him off balance!!!- Although the driver was in the wrong and deservves to be punished, the Councillor was way out of order….Some Councillors think they are above the law!
I stop where i like,its my Country,or did before i found out it wasnt
Yoooo Dis Ma Uncle((& Meenaz Cuzzin))Ryt Ere Hahahahaa Dis Jowkzz..Stupid Council Person Shuld Shut Keep Quiet And Stp Bein Abusive Man And Just Let Him Deliver Wha He Wantz 2 … Itz His Job N Yh Yh Like Da Peepz R Sayin On Dem Commentz Da Delivery Man Is Ryt..No Tym 4 Da Haterz!!Brapp Brapp !!
I think Mark Percival sums it up quite brilliantly there.
Now I suppose some of these comments are left by the full time “car drivers” amongst us. Just approach walsall on the A461 from the north and note how many cars are illegally parked on the pavement and take up the whole pavement, forcing mothers with pushchairs out on the road and the suchlike.
Now tell me you are all “perfect”.
Makes me laugh…..
The reaction of the councillor was totally shocking and unjustified. He was well out of order and should be punished for common assault or affray. In the fast moving society we live in today we are all faced with similar circunstances. If we all behaved like the councillor then our society would be in mayhem. The councillor was lucky the driver did not knock his block off as his reaction in the eyes of the law would amount to provocation. No wonder the youth of today have no respect or social values if we have persons such as the councillor as rolemodels in society. I call for his resignation and an apology.
I think the councillor and van man should be tethered, stripped to the waste and made to fight it out in a mud pit. Wouldn’t solve much I suppose, but it would make decent tele.
Have to say, I probably agree with x-Tisha & Meena-x above. At least I might do if I knew what the bloody hell they were on about. Innit.
Nice one, Mr White Van Man…
Should sue that bleeding councillor for assualt…
Give people power and it goes to their head!
I drive past a taxi office on the way home from work and its guaranteed that there are two taxi’s parked outside on the cycle lane……not directly outside ‘cos that would be on a wiggly line denoting a pedestrian crossing. so they are flouting one law and observing another. BTW they have a taxi park over the road
Wow, much as I hate people who park illegally, its not like the street was exactly busy.
Question is, was the Councillor actually on a cycle lane? Because to me it looks like a pedestrianised street.
It’s unfortunate that we have such prats elected as councillors, making such alot of noise about such a little problem. How about putting that much energy and conviction into something that actually matters to his constituents, or would that be too much like work?
I suppose he backed down when he saw someone was filming him! Idiot.