When Were Jitneys Invented?

Jitneys initially emerged in the 1910s, when personal car ownership became more popular and individuals wanted to earn some extra money by charging for a ride.

What were jitneys?

Jitneys are private cars or small vans that their owners use to carry passengers for a fee, They flourished in many cities in the nineteen‐twenties, when “jitney” was a slang term for nickel, the fare in those days.

Why was a nickel called a jitney?

Jitney (or gitney) was then a slang term for five cents (or perhaps for a nickel coin, it's hard to tell). The earliest example researchers have so far found is in an exchange between a pair of tramps: “Can't spare de change. ... The cars were called jitneys because the fare for any length of journey was five cents.