I think the problem is twofold, although there is nothing really difficult or dangerous about the field, I think it is "visibly intimidating " and this leads pilots to stray from flying the numbers as they would at any other field. Secondly, a large majority of the fields visitors are recreational pilots who for the most part fly there spamcans round SoCal in a radar environment and between towered fields with a lot of hand holding, I think the added stress of see and avoid in busy uncontrolled airspace along side the reputation of Catalina being a "difficult " field causes people to do crazy stuff. Overthinking it if you will.