On a more serious note everyone should remember that the "separation standards" are not laid down to ensure that for example aircraft pass over each other 1000ft appart.
The separation standards both horizontal and vertical are designed to ensure that aircraft do not collide.
If the vertical standard is that aircraft without the required horizontal separation most be instructed to fly at indicated levels that are different by 1000ft then one can expect that provided they do, taking all the factors into account they will not hit each other. They may come a lot closer than 1000ft however.
The same applies to for example radar separation - if 5 miles is the standard then provided the controller uses their judgement and decides two radar returns / responses are 5nm appart then while the aircraft may be less than 5nm (radar errors etc etc), they will not be so close that they hit.
So perhaps the aircraft did seem a lot closer than xnm and a lot closer than 1000ft above or below. There is a very good posibility that it was. However, you are a perfect witness to the fact that the systemn works and the aircraft did not hit.
Therefore the objective of ATC - prevent collisions was acheived.