I think you just have to accept that everyone is human - yep, even ATCO's. And they can sometimes make mistakes - but given their workload at times, I think they do a lot better job than I ever could.
I was once cleared to cross the active runway from the south side of the airfield (with two towers? Think about it....
) to the northside back to the apron.
I asked if that was behind or in front of the landing Cessna? (It had been cleared to land a minute or so earlier, and was now directly above the numerals coming down said active runway.... )
A momentary pause and 'after' was confirmed....
Otherwise could have been a good time to practice quickstops! (That's an 'avoidance turn' in plank-speak...).
As Pilot in Command the final decision to obey ATC rests with you.
As does the consequences....good or bad.