What race?

I work in an office that is located in an outside mall - basically a strip mall with a movie theater and about 20 (mostly) independent restaurants.  Mostly asian food.  During the summer it is dead.  There are no houses nearby and the students are gone so it's not very busy.  That will change very soon, students are about to start classes.  btw, we are across from a university.  But right now there are no shoppers, just one or two people out and about. 

Sooooo, today about 4:00 me and my friend are sitting out on the second floor balcony taking a break.  We see a guy in an electric wheelchair racing around the parking lot begging for change.  He hits up the 2 people in the parking lot.  One gives him money, the other (an office worker I recognize) does not.

He whizzes over to the area right underneath us and I can hear him asking the FEDX lady for money.  My friend says "I wish there were a security guy around."  Right that second a security guard walks up.  I said to him, "Hey, there is a guy in a wheelchair right downstairs (I point downward) who is begging for money."

He says, "What does he look like?"  

I know my face is showing an expression like...wtf, did you not hear what I said?  

I say, "Ummmm, he's in an electric  WHEELCHAIR"

He says, "What is his race?"

Ok, so even tho I did note (in my brain) his race, it was not the first thing I noticed.  I noticed he was in a WHEELCHAIR.  Since there is no wheelchair convention around and there are no people out and about it never occurred to me to say, "Hey there is a teal, black, yellow, hispanic, white, green,  purple man in a wheelchair begging for money downstairs."

My friend was looking at me, I could see her looking at me with that, "OMG, did he just ask the stupidest question just now?"

He left after I told him his race but really, it was not necessary. 

Weird.