"...No, that's what they're called everywhere. But it doesn't apply to every kind of transportation. An airplane isn't a taxi just because you pay someone else to fly it for you. The difference is..."

What is the difference? He never thought he'd be contemplating the ontological boundaries of the concept of taxis.

"The difference is that a taxi can take you anywhere. Anywhere that a car can drive, I mean. Trains go to stations, boats go to harbors, planes fly in and out of airports, but a taxi can take you to your exact address just like if you were driving your own car. And they're just driving you, not a bunch of other strangers. I guess you could say you're paying someone for personalized transport." This is a very odd place for this conversation to have ended up.