Two things are abundantly clear about wrong-way parking in Rapid City. The first is that lots of drivers do it. The second is that the Rapid City Police Department does nothing to prevent it.

Wrong-way parking is an obvious safety hazard as drivers cross oncoming traffic lanes to pull into, and out of, parking spaces.

That kind of on-street parking is against a city ordinance that requires vehicles to be parked in the direction of traffic, with curbside wheels within 12 inches of the curb. There's also a state law that makes it illegal to drive on the wrong side of the road which, of course, wrong-way parkers must do as they enter or exit their parking spaces.

But despite these bans against it, a stunning number of Rapid City drivers park headed in the opposite direction of traffic. This violation is particularly popular on residential streets but has, on more than one occasion, been noted on busier thoroughfares as well, including Fifth Street in downtown Rapid City.

The infraction should cost drivers a $5 ticket for improper parking. In reality, it costs them nothing. Enforcement of this particular parking ordinance is not, nor has it ever been, a priority for the RCPD's Traffic Division.

We think it should become one.

Police department spokesmen argue that the resources needed to enforce wrong-way parking laws would detract from other, more dangerous, traffic issues, such as drunk-driving arrests.

We don't buy that argument. Other cities manage to enforce wrong-way parking laws while maintaining, admittedly, more important public safety priorities. We think Rapid City can, too.

Traffic law enforcement shouldn't be an either/or choice. We urge RCPD to reconsider this parking nuisance as the real traffic hazard that it is, and to begin enforcing the existing laws against it more vigorously.

If each patrol officer wrote even one or two tickets per day for wrong-way parking as they cruise Rapid City neighborhoods, it wouldn't take long to send a clear message to chronic violators: Park the wrong way and it may cost you $5 to do it.