washcloths

So, I'm used to three sizes of towel in a bathroom. Big body bath towel used for drying your body; much smaller rectangular hand towel that hangs somewhere to dry your hands on after washing your hands; square (6x6 inch?) washcloth for use in the shower. In a pinch, you can use a hanging body towel as the hand towel.

I don't think this is exotic, you find the set in any hotel room.

But the place in Orient Heights just gave me a hand towel at first. Which you can use to dry your body, but, uh. They coughed up the other two when I asked.

Place in JP gave me a body towel and a hand towel, which I used as a washcloth. My host said that was unusual, she thought people just used their hands these days, or poufs, which are a strange and alien thing to me. (Orient Heights did have two of them.)

Incidentally, I saw poufs for sale in CVS, with a sign urging you to replace them every month. So, less convenient IMO *and* cost more money.

Finally, the current place left me a bath towel and a hand towel; I gave in and bought a couple (came as a pair) of washcloths.

Modern world, end of times, youth these days, etc.

Lyft vs. Uber practices

Things I've been told by recent Lyft drivers:

* Uber and Lyft "take the same percentage", but Lyft charges more so they get more.

* Uber cheats on mileage, holding out until an attorney general was called in.

* If your ride estimate was e.g. $31, but actually was worth $22, Lyft charges you $22; Uber charges you $31, but pays the drive for a ride of $22, pocketing the difference.

* Uber often charges you surge price but doesn't pay out as a surge. Which, I note, rather defeats half the alleged point of surge pricing (luring more drivers onto the road.)

* Lyft surges based on demand, Uber often surges by the clock.

* Lots of drivers are switching to Lyft.

* Edit to add: Lyft is a lot easier for the drivers to contact and talk to when there's a problem, and more responsive.

Certainly I've been seeing a lot more Lyft availability in Boston than I did a few years ago.

Edit to add: comment below got me wondering about relative pay. A few sources:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8522975_much-average-cab-driver-make.html
http://oureverydaylife.com/much-average-cab-driver-make-9448.html
http://work.chron.com/much-fare-taxi-drivers-keep-22871.html

In 2012-2013, taxi drivers were reporting $12/hour on average. This Vox article https://www.vox.com/2014/12/17/7402311/lyft-driver-pay suggests Lyft in 2014 was similar, but that drivers were enthusiastic about the flexibility.

The Chron.com link suggests taxi companies take a 1/3 cut, and that the drivers may have to pay for gas and vehicle use out of what's left, too.