If the basis of calling him Hot Wheels is because he’s in a wheelchair, it’s ableist. Just like the stereotype that “all Asians are good at math” is seemingly positive, it’s still a racist statement.
There was a customer at my old sub shop that some staff dubbed “Hot Wheels” and not endearingly. Everyone hated her, she was rude and mean, and yes she came in with a motorized wheel chair. I phrase it that way because, if you ever delivered to her, she’d answer the door standing up, no chair in sight. She didn’t need it, she was just really fat and somehow got an actual wheelchair instead of one of those scooters.
She also once answered her door naked, expecting the delivery guy to be a man. It wasn’t, and she wasn’t pleased. Didn’t even pay, let alone tip. (She never tipped.)
If the basis of calling him Hot Wheels is because he’s in a wheelchair, it’s ableist. Just like the stereotype that “all Asians are good at math” is seemingly positive, it’s still a racist statement.
There was a customer at my old sub shop that some staff dubbed “Hot Wheels” and not endearingly. Everyone hated her, she was rude and mean, and yes she came in with a motorized wheel chair. I phrase it that way because, if you ever delivered to her, she’d answer the door standing up, no chair in sight. She didn’t need it, she was just really fat and somehow got an actual wheelchair instead of one of those scooters.
She also once answered her door naked, expecting the delivery guy to be a man. It wasn’t, and she wasn’t pleased. Didn’t even pay, let alone tip. (She never tipped.)