Before you park perpendicularly, I strongly suggest covering your butt first and contact the police department and find out if you can do it ahead of time, and then get it in writing. I know from reffing high school sports, and my last parking ticket*, that covering your butt in gray areas is the safest and most effective policy.
*For those who want to know, it involved parking in a handicapped space. I was taking my brother, who was in a wheelchair and had a valid hang-tag, to a soccer game. But it was raining and in our haste forgot to hang the tag. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the $400 fine by providing a letter from my brother, the phone number of his doctor, and the hang tag to the hearing.
