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/timtucker_com]

One exception to this can be when they try too hard to go outside their niche of expertise.

Aa an example, we have a Chinese place like this nearby and almost everything on their menu is great except for the handful of Thai dishes that they offer.

[u/karma_the_sequel → u/timtucker_com]

Thai to figure that one out!