eminiscent of "white flight," the old residents began moving to the less populated areas surrounding the city. It is this resentment for the rest of Asheville which led to the naming of West Side Low- Rider club, which is called by most, West Side.
             "This stuff is all about boys and their toys" Mike P.
             Members of the group will tell you that membership is open to the public, provided the rest of the guys like you. There are 150 "rides"{a term used to describe a person and their car}in the group. All of them are males, between the ages of sixteen and twenty seven. I asked why women where not allowed into the group, and was told by many that auto mechanics, and driving for that matter, were activities which men performed better. Probing the issue further I found that most of the members thought that women do not need to get dirty, and that the work is mechanically oriented which happens not to suit women.
             Members of the club are divided into two categories, men and boys. Boys are considered so until the eighteenth birthday which marks the introduction into manhood. Sexual experience also appears to be linked to the separation between men and boys. Virginity is frowned upon, as no male can be considered a man, without first experiencing sexual intercourse. My informant told me that many boys will lie about their sexual conquest in order to raise their status in the group. The separation between the sexually experienced and those considered "cherries" is symbolically represented in name calling and jokes which bring to light the sexual naiveté of the boys in the club. For example, one boy was referred to as "Lotion" implying that his only sexual pleasure came through masturbation.
             The notion that women are not to be permitted into the club is interesting, as they are the vehicle through which members achieve ultimate pleasure and status. I speculate that this notion is much like one reason in which many Muslim w...