Why is it important for Ponyboy to point out that the Socs were "reeling pickled"?

This is important because as Johnny notes, drunkeness changes the game. Alcohol dulls pain and good sense. Alcohol and fighting is a bad combination.

Five Socs were coming straight at us, and from the way they were staggering I figured they were reeling pickled. That scared me. A cool deadly bluff could sometimes shake them off, but not if they outnumbered you five to two and were drunk.