Lobbying Causes ‘People’ Scene to Be Cut

Officials at the Chicago Transit Authority say lobbying by them and New York transit officials apparently has persuaded 20th Century Fox to cut a scene from a movie that indicated the electricity is turned off in the subway between trains.

The transit officials feared the scene in the movie “Used People” would prompt people to jump on the train tracks and suffer electrocution.

“This is absolutely untrue--the electricity is always on,” CTA General Counsel William H. Farley said Thursday.

“You can’t say to people too many times that the third rail is extremely dangerous and fatal if touched.”

A spokeswoman for 20th Century Fox said the scene was cut from the final print of the movie.

In the scene, a boy suffering from depression jumps onto the tracks in the New York subway, touches the third rail and lives. A friend explains that the electricity is turned off between trains.

Farley praised 20th Century Fox for its decision.

“That’s fabulous,” he said.