Function of 反対に in this sentence


Please explain what 反対に is doing in this sentence:

> そういえば先日も、駅のホームにおいて、化粧をしている若い女性に注意した年配の女性が、 **反対に**
> つきとばされて電車に接触し、大怪我をする事件がありましたっけ。
>
> Come to think of it, just the other day on the station platform I recall
> there was an incident where an old lady, who told off a young girl who was
> putting on make up, was pushed away and came into contact with the train,
> and was seriously injured.

I thought it meant 'on the contrary' but that doesn't make any sense. Thanks.




(Just turning my own comment into an answer.)

「[反対]{はんたい}に」, in this context, means 「[逆]{ぎゃく}に」= "contrary to expectations",
"contrary to what one might normally expect", etc.

If a woman is putting make-up on the platform standing near the track, the
"general" expectations would be that it could potentially be dangerous for her
(because she is busy looking in her mirror and all).

In this case, however, it was the kind lady who was courageous enough to chide
the young woman who, "contrary to expectations", got pushed and got seriously
injured. This 「反対に」 has nothing whatsoever with a physical direction in which
something or someone moves. It is only used in the sense that the "opposite"
of what people feared might happen actually happened.




(Just turning my own comment into an answer.)

「[反対]{はんたい}に」, in this context, means 「[逆]{ぎゃく}に」= "contrary to expectations",
"contrary to what one might normally expect", etc.

If a woman is putting make-up on the platform standing near the track, the
"general" expectations would be that it could potentially be dangerous for her
(because she is busy looking in her mirror and all).

In this case, however, it was the kind lady who was courageous enough to chide
the young woman who, "contrary to expectations", got pushed and got seriously
injured. This 「反対に」 has nothing whatsoever with a physical direction in which
something or someone moves. It is only used in the sense that the "opposite"
of what people feared might happen actually happened.

