"Perhaps when you are cruising at FL330 it is different...but when you are down and dirty and there is traffic descending ONE thousand feet on top there is little margin for error".
easternwiseguy-I know it's probably a long time since you did an area course but even in the sticks you must know that we use 1000ft at FL330 nowadays!!
It must be the way you say it if it is happening on a "regular basis".