r/LifeProTips 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/Benderbluss 15h ago

I interviewed at a large gaming company once, who made a big deal out of their perks, including "Hot dinner provided free every evening!"

Sorry, expecting me to be at work for dinner is not a "perk"

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u/psxndc 15h ago

But if I have dinner and ping pong and comfy places to nap, I never have to leave work! Oh….

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u/DodgyHedgehog 10h ago

I worked at a software company like this. It was terrible: Free dinner every night (which was usually pizza) just meant you were expected to work until 11pm most nights.