VERNACULAR CABS: JITNEYS AND GYPSIES IN FIVE CITIES

Although there is extensive literature on taxis and taxicab drivers, this is not the case for jitneys (gypsies). After a definition of "vernacular" is provided, the paper proceeds with an overview of vernacular cab operations in five American cities: Chattanooga, Chicago, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia. The overviews are based on library research, interviews and the participant-observation method (as jitney driver in Omaha). An overwhelming number of vernacular operations are in the hands of blacks: a few, in New York City, are run by Puerto Ricans. After the overviews -or ethnographies -are presented, the paper concludes with a discussion that touches on why these cabs are de facto taxis, the validity of "vernacular" as a term for the cab systems reviewed, why there has been a neglect of the vernaculars as a research topic, and the importance of vernaculars for policy analysis. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Suzuki, P T
• Publication Date: 1985-7

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 337-347
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 19A
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Conferences; Costs; Digital computers; Information management; Information, data, and knowledge; Itinerary; Jitneys; Minorities; Paratransit services; Passengers; Planning; Private transportation; Public transit; Ridesharing; Statistics; Tariffs; Taxi services; Taxicab drivers; Taxicabs; Timetables; Transportation operations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Shared taxi
• Geographic Terms: Sweden
• ITRD Terms: 6784: Colour; 1772: Driver; 1128: Paratransit; 335: Population; 2253: Sociology; 1148: Taxi; 313: Urban area; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Finance; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00453909
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 401
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1986 12:00AM