# What happens to street gang members as they get older **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300 "2019-01-23T23:35:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/21 "2019-01-28T14:29:01Z")
Their scary tattoos stretch, droop and fade. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/22 "2019-01-28T14:38:40Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > '72 Pinto? Plausible. I had a '78 Pinto. Inevitable. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/23 "2019-01-28T14:50:04Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > I had a '78 Pinto. Inevitable. Hey, it’s tough out there on the streets. To survive, maybe Pintos should have organized into street gangs. To fight the Chevy Vegas. Would have been a helluva a rumble…Imagine all the body parts falling off. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/24 "2019-01-28T16:02:31Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Hey, it’s tough out there on the streets. > > To survive, maybe Pintos should have organized into street gangs. To fight the Chevy Vegas. > Would have been a helluva a rumble…Imagine all the body parts falling off. > 🙂 [clinks two pistons together] PINTOS! Come out and plaaaayyyyy! V-E-G-A Vegas! The Vegas are in gear, Our cylinders are clickin’! [-hey, you hardly have to change the lyrics!] The Pintos’ll steer clear, 'Cause ev’ry Ford’s a rusty chicken! Even The Boss weighed in Beyond the palace Chevy powered drones scream down the boulevard Pintos dropping parts like cutting farts the Fords try to look so tough ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/25 "2019-01-29T00:13:05Z")
> [@bubba001](#): > > I have a friend that used to be a counselor in a youth prison here in Michigan. He told me that 17 year old kids would taunt him - “ I got a Rolex, you got a Rolex?” When he tried to tell them that selling drugs could get you killed, the response was that then, they wouldn’t have anything to worry about. My sister mentored a young woman for a while, and this girl, whom she always referred to as “the teenager” to preserve her privacy, had experienced things my sister couldn’t even imagine, having been raised middle-class. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/26 "2019-01-29T01:27:56Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > My sister mentored a young woman for a while, and this girl, whom she always referred to as “the teenager” to preserve her privacy, had experienced things my sister couldn’t even imagine, having been raised middle-class. The kid in the paper said, “It’s a war out here, man. I mean everyday people struggling to survive, so you know, we just do what we can. We ain’t got no choice, and if that means getting killed, well s—, it’s what n—'s do around here to feed their family.” (This is for about $200-500 per month; chance of death after 4 years is 25%.) Presumably many of you would consider doing all sorts of things, too, rather than let your family starve. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/27 "2019-01-29T05:18:50Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Seems like every time I talk to a born again Christian they tell me all about how they were hell on wheels when they were a teen. Same personality trait, ( ideological passion especially involving a group) but matured motivation or appeal. Doing good for others, especially your cryp/Christian Brothers A little less narcissistic A lot less doing bad to those outside your group as a way of doing good for your group. All in all same thing, less shortsighted. Which we all know comes with age. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300/28 "2019-01-29T05:23:18Z")
Big-time leaders seem to often become semi famous and still leaders, of something. The rest I think we’ve basically covered. Dead, prison, born again Christian’s lol. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-street-gang-members-as-they-get-older/828300.md?page=1)