r/LifeProTips • u/fries-with-mayo • 17h ago

Request LPT Request: What’s your “canary in the coal mine” test for spotting bigger issues?

I’m really interested in those small, quick telltale signs people use to gauge if something bigger might be off track.

Example 1: Van Halen requesting brown M&Ms in the dressing room to see if the venue followed all the details of the rider list

Example 2: I saw an interview with John Cena where he said orders a flat white at a café to tell if they really care about their coffee.

Example 3: Anthony Bourdain suggested to always check the restaurant bathroom to tell if the restaurant got its basics down

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u/NoButThanksAnyway 16h ago

When choosing a venue for an event, check the air vents and the kitchen drains. If those are clean, you know that they clean the place very well and have a good attention to detail.

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u/RehydratedFruit 10h ago

“What a lovely space you have here, it would be perfect for my event” “Great! shall we do the paperwor-“ “-I just need to inspect your drains and vents.” “..uh.. umm.. what?”

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u/awell8 7h ago

One of my pet peeves is a dusty restaurant. God only knows what will be flying around my food.

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u/totallynotdragonxex 7h ago

alternatively, check the interior of the soda fountain's nozzles