You don't have to be a dick about it.

Just read that Spider-Man 3 is shooting.

Interesting story. I once worked in the Sears Tower until the World Trade Center was exploded and then I took the day off, only to find a voicemail two days later from the President telling us not to leave the building, that we were going to work the rest of the day. That was a bad call. But this story took place somewhere between there and when I got fired.

I used to take the Brown line in the morning formt he Quincy stop. So this one morning I got to the el and my movie sense started tingling. Anybody can tell a movie is shooting if there's big honey-wagons that announce the presence of Oceans 12 but this one day there were no honey-wagons or grip cart, but there was a weird sense in the air. The person standing at the sidewalk entrance to the platform had the feel of a production assistant, but there were not trucks, no c-stands, no evidence of a shoot. I got to the top landing and there was another p.a.-like person, and he had a walkie! Aha! It is a film shoot...but where the fuck are the trucks? Then I got up on the platform and these were not commuters, they stank of extras, BUT WHERE THE HELL WAS THE CREW!! I stood there a while wondering what was going on. I've been on a lot of shoots and while I'm still enamored by being on set and want to do it for the rest of my life I like to act like I'm more above it than the commoner, that I'm obsesses out of career aspiration rather than common gawking. But, finally I ask one of the "communters" what's going on.

"We're shooting a movie."
"What movie"
"Spider-Man 2"
"You know, you don't have to be a dick about it, I was just asking" ...was what I almost said under the assumption that that was the biggest "fuck you" response from Mr. Indie extra on a movie with no camera or crew. Probably an ER guy. Why don't you just say "The Matrix 2" asshole.

A) Spider-Man 2 was not shooting, It was two years from being in theatres.
B) Spider-Man 2 was not shooting in Chicago.
C) A $180 million film was not shooting with no cameras or crew, but only two guys with walkies.

Cut to two years later as I watch Spider-Man fight Dr. Octopus on a Chicago El passing teh Quincy stop.

Funny story, but not as funny as the one where I got fired.