CIRRUS SR22 PLT HAS AN AIRBORNE CONFLICT IN THE PATTERN AT PAO.

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I WAS COMING IN TO LAND AT PAO ARPT. I WAS ON THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31. I WAS ALSO TOLD I WAS #3 FOR LNDG. WHEN I SAW TFC DIRECTLY ABEAM MY L WING; I ASKED THE CTL TWR IF 'THE PLANE PARALLEL TO ME IS MY TFC?' HE SAID 'YES.' SO I FOLLOWED THE TFC IN. HOWEVER; SECONDS LATER; I HEARD ANOTHER AIRPLANE SAY WE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A MIDAIR COLLISION. I CONTINUED ON TO LAND; AND ONCE WAS CLR OF RWY 31; I CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM I WAS READY TO TAXI TO MY TIE-DOWN. HE STATED; 'GIVE WAY TO THE AIRPLANE IN FRONT OF YOU; THE ONE YOU ALMOST ALREADY HIT; AND THEN PROCEED TO PARKING.' WHEN I GOT HOME; I CALLED PAO TWR AND ASKED THEM WHY I WAS CLRED TO FOLLOW THE TFC PARALLEL TO ME WHEN IT WASN'T MY TFC. THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WERE 2 PLANES PARALLEL TO ME; AND THAT I WAS CLRED TO FOLLOW THE TFC PARALLEL TO ME ON THE R DOWNWIND; NOT THE PLANE ON FINAL PARALLEL TO ME. HOWEVER; THIS KIND OF 'PARALLEL' DESCRIPTION WAS NOT GIVEN TO ME IN THE AIR WHILE ON L DOWNWIND. ALL IN ALL; WHEN I ASKED SPECIFICALLY; 'DO I FOLLOW THE TFC PARALLEL TO ME?' THEY SAID 'FOLLOW THAT TFC.'