Wrong place, wrong time?

When some random tragic event happens to someone, regardless if the person's actions were their typical actions or some deviation from their norm, people often say that the person was in the wrong place at the wrong time. On my walk into work this morning, as I watched the horde of jaywalking minions carry on with nary a thought for their own safety, this phrase popped into my head and I began to wonder about the use of this phrase. This phrase cannot be used unilaterally in all seemingly random tragedies. Being in the right place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time is just as likely to end in tragedy as is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Being in the right place at the wrong time opens a person up for tragedy as any subsequent event that occurs would happen at a time when the person should not be where they are. In the event the person is early, anything could happen to the person while they are waiting for the right time that would not have happened if the person was on time. Likewise, any event that happens when a person is late to the right place would have possibly been avoided if the person showed up at the right time since theoretically; they should no longer be in that place.

Looking at things the other way, being in the wrong place at the right time, does not reduce the likelihood of tragedy. If one shouldn't be in a certain place then it really doesn't matter the timing as they shouldn't be in that place to begin with. Taking this deviated phrase at face value, is there ever really a right time to be in the wrong place?

When random tragedies happen we should not jump to the conclusion that it is simply a case of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time; other explanations are just as likely. But I guess it is easier for the masses to comfort themselves with a catchall phrase than to actually look for meaning. After all, who really wants to believe that tragedies can happen to anyone at anytime rather than on those rare occasions when some poor soul is somewhere they should never be at that given point in time. We would rather just write it off as bad luck, forget about it and continue on with our own lives without a second thought. Keep to the same routine day in and day out and nothing bad will happen. Time to put my rose coloured glasses back on and get back to my regular scheduled program.