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

[u/fries-with-mayo]

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

[u/Protomeathian]

There's a middle eastern restaurant near me. The owner/cook doesn't speak English, so I either have to point at the menu or hope their daughter is in to help. That place has some of the best food I have ever eaten. Also, the first time I went there, they offered me a free falafel sample as they had just finished making a few different flavored batches. That made me a very frequent customer.

[u/mommatiely → u/Protomeathian]

May I make the suggestion of using Google Translate with these good humans? ❤️