When Ponyboy and Johnny, members of the less fortunate Greasers gang, are insulted by the Socs, a band of affluent and privileged youths, the argument in the parking lot quickly gets out of hand. For a considerable amount of time, the two groups have been under conflict due to their disparate social backgrounds and shared contempt. The Socs' disparaging comments about the Greasers, referring to them as "white trash with long hair," cause the Greasers to sharply respond, mocking the Socs as "white trash with mustangs and madras," emphasising the difference between them