Santa Claus Slapped With Parking Ticket ... Ho Ho Hoh-Crap

One L.A. parking enforcer just bought himself a one-way ticket to the naughty list ... 'cause he GAVE SANTA CLAUS A PARKING TICKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Claus -- who must have been letting all the reindeer rest before their upcoming gig -- parked his sedan at a meter in downtown L.A. Thursday ... while he ran some last minute Xmas errands in his classic red suit.

Enter the Grinch -- a.k.a. parking-ticket-man -- who noticed Santa's meter was expired, and slapped him with a ticket soooo fast ... even the elves were stunned (and everyone knows elves are fast).

According to an eye-witness on scene ... Santa tried desperately to get out of the fine ... but no cigar.