Outlaw Motorcycle Gang: Prospecting

The Journey of Being Accepted: Under and Alone According to Examiner.com, “When a man (women are not allowed membership) desires entrance into a 1% club, he must first be a hang-around for a period of time and get to know someone in the club well enough for that person to recommend or 'sponsor' him into the club. The person hanging around for a period of time is known as a prospect. Now the real question is what is a prospect and what do they do? Prospects are the lowest ranks in an outlawed motorcycle gang (OMG). The work a prospects must do, in order to receive entrance into the gang, is portrayed in William Queen’s Under and Alone. “After Queen spent twenty eight month as Billy St. John, a bearded beer swinging, Harley-riding gangbanger, the truth of his identity became blurry, even to himself” (cover). Billy St. John is known as the undercover cop with desires to enter and then expose one of the rowdiest motorcycle gangs called the Mongols. The Mongols were a motorcycle gang, small in size, but tough on anyone that crossed their paths. These guys wore black and white patches to symbolize the colors of their gang. The patches were an identity to them, along with their motorcycles. Queen initially figured out “It’s no small feat to become a bona fide member of an outlaw motorcycle gang; it entails tests of loyalty, fortitude, stamina, and physical prowess” (35). Outlawed motorcycle gangs believe in ranks and democracy. A prospect, as noted before, is the bottom rank of the gang. You must follow everyone’s orders. In simpler words, you’re the slave of the gang. These orders can range anywhere from getting a member a few members to wiping an ass. The highest rank is known as a Rocker. Queen had one mission, to be accepted in the Mongol gang, without any conflictions, and then lock them behind bars. The biggest challenged he faced was being accepted. William explains, “Sometimes gaining the trust of the gang requires engaging in violent criminal activity,