where did the term jitney driver come from?
From Random House: Jitney was originally a slang word for a nickel, or five cents. The word then came to be used for a bus that carried passengers along a regular route, since the fare for these rides were five cents. Buses like this continued to be called jitneys long after the fares rose. The word’s first known appearance is in 1903, in the ‘nickel’ sense. The ‘bus’ sense is first attested in 1914, but seems to have become popular very quickly, since we have a number of pre-1920 examples of the term. The ultimate origin of the word is unknown. More about jitney buses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Share_taxi#Jitney_.28USA_and_Canada.29 A jitney is a North American English term which originally referred to a livery vehicle intermediate between a taxi and a bus. It is generally a small-capacity vehicle that follows a rough service route, but can go slightly out of its way to pick up and drop
