A warning to San Diegans who like to hike up a very popular mountain: there could be a very unwelcome surprise waiting for you, when you return to your car or truck.
More than 2,500 parking violations have been issued to vehicles parked on Golfcrest Drive, next to Cowles Mountain, in the San Carlos neighborhood.
Those citations were issued from January 2016 through January 16, 2018, according to statistics obtained by NBC 7 Investigates.
The vast majority of those citations were issued to vehicle owners who failed to turn their front wheels to the curb on Golfcrest Drive.
Traffic enforcement officers issued 1,165 wheel cramping citations in 2016, 893 citations in 2017 and 62 citations in just the first 16 days of 2018.
The citations carry a $59.50 fine.
The city ordinance requires drivers to cramp their front wheels on hills with a three percent grade, which is not very steep.
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The city does not have to post signs warning drivers to cramp their wheels.
There are a few such warning signs on Golfcrest, but they’re approximately 125 yards apart, and easy to miss.
Expired registrations are also a target for parking patrols on Golfcrest.
More than 300 citations for expired license tags have been issued since 2016.
Thirty-six drivers have also been cited for parking more than 18 inches from the curb.
NBC 7 Investigates asked city traffic enforcement why the department has issued so many citations on Golfcrest Drive, and if the street is being targeted as a source of easy revenue for the city treasury.
The city has not responded that request for comment.
