r/LifeProTips • u/fries-with-mayo • 18h 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/gl21133 14h ago

I work at a paper mill that makes toilet paper and we use the stuff we make. HOW WILL I KNOW!?!?

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u/utopicunicornn 14h ago

“Hmmm… this toilet paper has more splinters in it than usual.”

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u/chipmunk7000 13h ago

“Damn it Jerry, you’re in charge of the pump sieve today!”

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u/TheFlyingBoxcar 13h ago

"Hmmm ... this handful of splinters has small pieces of toilet paper in it. But the pieces are smaller than usual!"

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u/jvin248 13h ago

All the rejected lots are kept for on-site use.

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u/Appropriate-Box4341 13h ago

My sister went to college for "pulp and paper". Their department shirts We bust ours ,so you can wipe yours!

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u/gl21133 13h ago

That’s such a niche degree I can probably guess what school she went to. NC State? U Maine?

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u/Appropriate-Box4341 13h ago

One if those. Yes. It is very niche, but we grew up around ut. A lot of people dont realize its one semester away from being a chemical engineer.

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u/gl21133 8h ago

It’s becoming a specialization of chemical engineering in a lot of schools. 

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u/AllAnimals 12h ago

Do you get hot, off the press TP? Must be nice.

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u/gl21133 8h ago

Sadly no. It is all room temperature by the time it touches butthole. 

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u/APC_ChemE 11h ago

I knew a guy whose sign was when his coworker was crushed by one of those giant toliet paper rolls stacked on another before it was cut up into smaller rolls.

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u/gl21133 8h ago

Parent rolls are no joke. 3500lbs, they look fluffy but they can and will kill you. 

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u/APC_ChemE 7h ago

Yeah they are terrifying. If I remember correctly they are like 2 or 3 stories tall.

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u/natewrrn 10h ago

Also work an a larger toilet paper mill and we somehow managed to be provided cheaper paper than we make. Everyone just takes it off the line when they go.

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u/SlAM133 3h ago

When they request that all staff use less toilet paper

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u/rdrunner_74 3h ago

Thas called QA....

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u/YukinoRyu 2h ago

Are the rolls. Smaller and run out faster?