If You Walked Through A Time Vortex Thing And Was Transported Back To 2010...

[Dr Rock]

... how long would it take you to twig and what would tip you off? You're in the high street or somewhere, not at home where you could turn on the telly. Even then it's mostly the same programmes anyway, but you might see the news or something.

[Danger Man]

The 20kg weight loss.

[Norton Canes]

Longer than if I was flung from 1989 to 1980, I think.

[Dr Rock]

The 20kg weight loss.

No you don't de-age silly, it's a Goodnight Sweetheart style thing.

[Cuellar]

I would simply wait until it was New Year's Eve and listen keenly when people wish each other a 'Happy [the year just begun]'. Then I would know.

[Rizla]

Seeing the News Of The World for sale might make me stop and go "huh?".

[imitationleather]

Suddenly being pissed up 24/7 would tip me off that I'd gone back in time. Or that everything had fallen apart once again.

[gib]

er, Woolworths?

[Chollis]

I would simply wait until it was New Year's Eve and listen keenly when people wish each other a 'Happy [the year just begun]'. Then I would know.

People just say "happy new year" though. You haven't thought this through.

[Kryton]

The old fruit machine in my local (plus the no longer deceased people at the bar).

[imitationleather]

er, Woolworths?

Good one! As in 2010 it would have been a mere three years since they went out of business. You'd still be able to taste the Pick n Mix.

[bgmnts]

No Tiger store and only one Greggs.

[Mister Six]

Not quite sure how different Midtown Manhattan was in 2010, but assuming it's more or less the same I'd probably not notice until I got home, opened my apartment door and ended up being shot/punched/apprehended by its then-occupant and subsequently arrested.

Maybe the lack of people looking at phones as they walked would be a clue, but I'd be too busy trying to figure out why my 4G signal is knackered.

Assuming you didn't come a cropper due to your sudden shift in time, what would you do with your new powers? I'd probably go for a drink in a beloved, gone-in-2019 bar and marvel at how few Chinese restaurants there are in the area. Then worry about getting home without doing it the long way around.

[Piggyoioi]

no smartphones

[imitationleather]

All you London-heads be like "Hey where the fucking awful buildings go?!"

[kittens]

i would fly to my house and sneak in by going invisibleand tell me all the winning lottery numbers for the next 20 years. then i would be very very rich and buy a lambo.

[Thomas]

I have a daily routine of taking a neatly discarded newspaper out of a bin and checking the date, so I'd cotton on pretty quickly.

Or I'd see footage of 9/11 on a TV in a shop window, followed by the news reporter saying '... which happened nine years ago...'

[Thomas]

Edit - time travel hiccup

[imitationleather]

I would fly to kittens' house to look at his younger and firmer bum, unravaged by time.

[poo]

Garys

[Inspector Norse]

On a serious note it does feel like the 2010s have seen very little development in fashion, culture, commerce or lifestyle compared to previous decades. Where's the singularity we were promised? I thought I'd be a cyborg by now dammit.

[shiftwork2]

The cars and the clothes.  The latter not in my case as I've been wearing the same outfit since 1990.

[BlodwynPig]

The smell

[Endicott]

no smartphones

Not just that, you'd pull your own out your pocket and it wouldn't work.

[Dr Rock]

On a serious note it does feel like the 2010s have seen very little development in fashion, culture, commerce or lifestyle compared to previous decades.

Yeah that was the thinking that inspired this super thread. Nothing's bloody changed. I'd blame the Tories but I suspect it's not very different in France or Australia.

[imitationleather]

Whenever I'm worried about having travelled back in time I check how many studio albums Arctic Monkeys have in the discography section of their Wikipedia page.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Some miserable old baggage calling me way too frequently wondering about my every fucking move and reminding me we're having dinner with her shitty family that night

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Yes, the phones would be the first clue. Looking in HMV, or Game and seeing the old new releases would clinch it.

Assuming you didn't come a cropper due to your sudden shift in time, what would you do with your new powers?

Aside from meeting up with any loved ones who have died since then, attempting to make money seems like the obvious answer. Unfortunately, I don't pay attention to sports, so betting is out and I can't think of many companies that got big this decade, so playing the stock market probably wouldn't work either.

[Gulftastic]

My fat backed telly.

[shiftwork2]

Whenever I'm worried about having travelled back in time I check how many studio albums Arctic Monkeys have in the discography section of their Wikipedia page.

Doesn't work because the entry just says 'too many'.  Even in 2006.