Earlier this week MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott appeared on Comcast Newsmakers and urged those tuning in to do something public transit commuters do everyday.

“Close your eyes and just imagine what this state, what this capital region would be like if we removed the T,” she stated in a gentle, almost maternal demeanor that in no way reflects how many of us visualize the underground system we dread to embark on to and from work.

But through her request Dr. Scott emphasized a notion lost on many who trek on the T, “You cannot point to any world-class economy, any world-class city, in the entire world that does not in fact wind up having a vibrant transportation system.”

Sure the MBTA can often be described as rude, late, foul, odorous, wretched, incompetent, inefficient, and antagonistic (the list goes on and on…) but it’s something that many of us take for granted on a daily basis. As Dr. Scott notes, “transportation is really about investment” and often times your ride on the Green Line can only be as good as you make it.

So while you’re reading this on your way into The Hub and watching the video below — as the disheveled person scrunches you against the subway window while they wipe their nose on their sleeve — remember that there are worse things. Perhaps not many, but worse nonetheless.

Watch MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott talk public transit here: