Civil Actions

Of all the things I value in other people, and I guess there are three at the top of the heap, civility is the one I crave most. The other two? Integrity and pragmatism, but it’s civility I’m talking about here. And it’s something I see pretty rarely these days.

It was a perfect example of that sought-after quality that I recently found in an odd place-the unpaved back 40 of a fleet’s yard in Edmonton. It surprised me at the time, but on reflection I realized it was actually typical of that particular outfit’s nature, of its “corporate culture,” to use a terribly worn but current phrase.

First off, what do I mean by civility? Well, I could offer you the dictionary version if I had the energy to dive into several boxes of books and dig out my two-volume Oxford Historical. With all my other books, it was packed away for our last move and it hasn’t seen the light of day since. I’d rather be inventive with the language anyway.

But I’m off track.

Civility. The act of being civil. Of being polite, considerate, though not necessarily kind in a warm and fuzzy way. Of being able to relax the bloody ego for a minute or two-deliberately-in favor of someone else’s best interest or simply his psychic comfort.

In some people, the truly civil, it’s not a deliberate act at all, rather an instinct. The British are thought to be civil creatures, as a nation and as individuals, but in that case-and I can say this because I was born a stone’s throw from Banbury Cross-it’s pure artifice. As deliberate and sometimes calculating as politicians kissing babies. That’s OK. I’ll take civility where I find it. It’s what separates us from the apes, after all.

But you know what? Do you know who’s truly, instinctively civil? Canadians. Especially Atlantic and Prairie Canadians. It’s deep within us, this respect for others, this concern for the detail of their well-being. This ability of ours to put our egos in “Park” for a spell.

Well, it’s deep within most of us anyway, including a driver for the Special Commodities Division of Economy Carriers in Edmonton.

To explain, a few weeks back I was visiting Roy Craigen, general manager of SCD and one of this industry’s most civil as well as most imaginative men. He wanted to show me an interesting trailer at the back of the company’s huge acreage, so we went walking through the dry and dusty yard. We were just shooting the breeze when I heard a diesel cracking to life and then saw the nose of a T600 poke out of a row of trailers and turn toward us. Most of the way through its turn, and 100 feet beyond us, the truck suddenly stopped and the driver shut it down.

I wondered why Roy muttered “Good. See that?” See what? I figured the guy in the Kenworth had some sort of problem, so what was Roy talking about?

We soon drew up to the side of the truck and I saw a wide-smiling driver rolling his window down. He and Roy exchanged friendly pleasantries and I was introduced.

A little small talk ensued and then we were walking away. A moment later the truck’s engine started and he moved off too. It was pretty obvious that he hadn’t had any difficulty, so I was still puzzled. It became clear when Roy explained that the driver was a relatively new hire and, more particularly, that SCD drivers are told not just to stop but to shut things right down when there’s a risk of blowing dust over people nearby. Roy was understandably pleased to see that the lesson had been learned.

I said, “Wow!”

That’s civility, on two levels. First, the company has obviously expressed the wish that its employees should be civil, and it clearly does more than give lip service to the idea. That’s a rare thing. And second, the driver understood that wish and followed through.

As you can tell, I was impressed.

Lest you think I’m soft in the head to be writing 700 words about this little incident, ask yourself if you like to be treated in a civil way like that. You probably don’t expect it any more, but you’d be a rare bird if you said, “no.”

Now ask how often it happens. s