C172 PLT CHALLENGES 090 CTLR'S APCH CLRNC.

Narrative

I WAS IFR FROM MRY TO PAO WITH THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: MRY-SNS-GILRO-SJC-DIRECT. WHEN I CONTACTED ZOA AFTER TKOF; THEY GAVE ME A HEADING AND TO GO SJC DIRECT WHEN ABLE. ALL WAS WELL UNTIL I GOT HANDED OFF TO BAY. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO HEAD 280 DEGS AND DSND TO 6000 FT; TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I DID A DOUBLE TAKE OF THE VOR/DME RWY 31 APCH FOR PAO AND THE FINAL COURSE IS 286 DEGS. I ASKED THE CTLR IF SHE SAID 280 DEGS. SHE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND CLRED ME TO 4300 FT. I STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO WORK; BUT SHE DIDN'T GET IT. (AS ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING; I BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT TO 6000 FT AND HEADING 315 DEGS.) I ASKED FOR FL330 OR FL340 AND SHE SAID THAT WAS FINE. I INTERCEPTED THE FINAL APCH COURSE 3.6 DME W OF SJC A FEW MINS AFTER SWITCHED TO THE CTAF. THE THING THAT MADE IT REALLY OBVIOUS IT WAS A BUM CLRNC WERE THE LIGHTS VISIBLE THROUGH THE LAYER OF FOG. IT ALSO HELPED THAT I REALIZED MY TURN TO FINAL WOULD BE CLOSER TO 40 DEGS AND NOT 50 DEGS OR 60 DEGS (DUE TO WINDS). I HAVE NEVER DISOBEYED A CLRNC BEFORE; BUT THIS WAS JUSTIFIED BASED ON THAT IT WOULDN'T GIVE ME PROPER TERRAIN CLRNC.