I received an e-mail recently from a man who (I assume, he didn’t say outright) is a retired officer for the New Brunswick Department of Transportation. He relayed a story to me about an “old-time trucker” that he had “locked horns” with more than once during his career. With his career now behind him, the man, named D.C. Butterfield, and the trucker met up again recently and were able to cast aside their former grievances and discuss the “good old days” without incident. This exchange of mutual respect prompted Butterfield to write the following poem, where the author poeticizes a roadside meeting between the two in years past. Enjoy!

Routine Check

The day was dull and drizzly
The kind that makes you brood
When everyone is sullen
Or else they're "in a mood",
I'd simply pulled him over
For the usual routine check
But he was one crusty dilly
A hackneyed pain-in-the-neck,
He started with 'verbal judo'
"It's a good thing we're out here to rob!"
I discreetly dodged the put-down
With, "Sir, I'm only doing my job.
The Regulations are there for a reason
And safety has got to come first
The incidents that happen without them
Quite often are always the worst,
I can't turn my back and not see it
Give in and just walk away
You're a proud professional person
Respect me ... for earning my pay!
You can't bulldoze me or bluff me
For I've been called every name in the book
But you see, my friend, in the long run
I'm the one that's left on the hook!
You might cruise as clear as the blue sky
Then, you might end up in the ditch
Or, something else I may have prevented
And - conscience is always a bitch!
You may think I'm a hard-hearted ole buzzard
But in your head you know it ain't true
I've explained the risks of the defects
Don't tell me - it's got to get through,
You remember the big wreck last summer
That almost finished their fleet
The awful pain and the anguish
Stopping distance - is measured in feet,
Now, I'm not pointing a finger
I'm only concerned with what's here
It was something he just couldn't live with
And put an end to his trucking career!"
"It takes balls to do what you're doin'
But you're right, in making your stand!"
With that - he climbed in and parked 'er
After quietly shaking my hand.

--D.C. Butterfield