In some of the heavily congested areas of the world, motorcycle commuting has mutated to cope with obscenely high traffic levels. This perversion is known as lane splitting, which is legal in California thanks to CHP motorcops. Although developed from necessity and the desire to travel faster than 15 miles per hour on a four-lane highway, a few have developed the form into an art. Among the brave (or insane, depending on your view) are the couriers, thrillseekers, and motorcycling commuters of the world that split lanes on a regular basis. In order to survive, they have honed their bodies, minds and machines to razor’s edge sharpness, but mostly they’re just nuts.

Every time I am sitting in traffic in the Los Angeles area, I encounter some lunatic whipping by my car just barely missing my side mirrors. I love motorcycles and the wind in my hair, but rest assured, I will not be driving a motorcycle in Los Angeles anytime soon.