Some people get nervous about flying, but most people (especially people who travel frequently, like flight attendants) don’t think anything unusual is going to happen on a plane. A lot of us are probably guilty of dozing off during the emergency demonstrations, in fact. But Raquel Vingard experienced something no flight attendant ever wants to experience. In the story below, we’ll discuss how one crumpled note turned her view of flying on its head forever.
Meet Raquel Vingard
Travel was always something Raquel lived for. She’d imagine, when she was younger, of going to all these various places around the world, and she was all about the adventure. The biggest cities like Paris and New York were always places she wanted to go.
Her mother suggested she find a job that incorporated travel after she graduated high school. Raquel decided she wanted to become a flight attendant without hesitation because then she would be able to see the world and help others, which was another big one of her passions.
Upon completing her training, Vingard started up her new job right away. Everything about what she did she loved, and she was sure she had made the right decision. For a few years, it all worked. Things would change, though, when she got to her 500th career flight.
Nervous
When she woke up on the morning of her next flight, she felt more nervous than usual. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something felt different. Even though she sometimes still got a bit nervous before every flight, she couldn’t help but notice the uncomfortable knot in her stomach.
Regardless, she dressed in the morning and prepared for the long day ahead. She also wanted to make the best impression on her crew and the passengers, so she did her best to put her uncomfortable energy behind her. Raquel was incredibly passionate about hospitality, which is why her career choice fitted her so well.
She chalked her nervousness up to the fact that this was to be her 500th flight. She couldn’t believe just how quickly time had gone. Raquel fondly remembered her first career flight and how nervous she had been. It honestly seemed like just the other day.
Her Fellow Crew Members
As Raquel arrived at the airport, she was excited to see her fellow crew members standing at the boarding gate. She had flown with a few of them many times before and knew just how good they were at their jobs.
Seeing them instantly made her feel a bit more relaxed. She greeted them and was congratulated by everyone for the major career milestone that she was about to reach. It was nice to know that she had the perfect team of crew members on her side.
As they boarded the plane and put their luggage away, Raquel finally started to feel more like herself. She reminded herself that this was going to be an easy flight: just over 4 hours from Sacramento to Detroit. She had flown this route plenty of times before. In fact, she had once worked a 16-hour flight, meaning that this one should be a piece of cake.
Greetings
As the boarding process began, Raquel stood at the door alongside Phil, her fellow steward. She did her best to hide her nerves behind a smile, greeting the passengers, helping them find their seats, and safely storing their luggage.
There was always so much to do before takeoff – Raquel actually found it the most stressful part of the job. She was so busy while the plane began to fill up that she almost forgot about the unsettling feeling in her stomach. However, it was still there, nagging away at the back of her mind.
Like always, Raquel made an effort to keep an eye out for any passengers who needed an extra bit of attention during the flight. Unfortunately, there seemed to be quite a few on this particular flight. Maybe it wouldn’t be as easy as she had hoped.
Interesting Characters
For starters, there was a young couple holding a small child who looked incredibly nervous about the flight ahead of them. These parties were always the most troublesome – though Raquel didn’t mind helping out in any way possible. There was also a man wearing all-black, including a baseball cap and sunglasses, who refused to even look at the flight attendants as he boarded.
On top of this, Raquel noticed a grumpy old man who was mumbling complaints to himself before he even made it to his seat. Lastly, there was the nervous woman, who looked like she needed the most attention of them all.
The lady kept looking around as though she was expecting something bad to happen. In fact, it seemed as though she thought that she was being followed. Raquel did this inspection on every flight, but this would be the most important inspection of her career.
Prior to Takeoff
As the plane remained on the tarmac, the flight attendants went about their jobs, tidying up the overhead bins, checking in with each passenger, and ensuring that all of the safety rules were being adhered to.
Then, the pilot’s voice filled the air to inform everyone what the journey would look like. Unfortunately, it was rather windy outside, which meant that they would be experiencing some turbulence.
Raquel then stood up to follow through with her safety demonstration. Like most people, she really didn’t like turbulence, but little did she know that turbulence would be the last of her worries on this particular flight.
Safety Precautions
A few minutes later, the plane began moving for takeoff. When it reached cruising altitude, the flight attendants took it as their cue to do another safety check. Phil was responsible for first class while Raquel walked down the economy aisle.
She ensured everybody’s seatbelts were still fastened in preparation for the turbulence ahead. While she performed her regular duties, she couldn’t help but think of how grateful she was that nothing bad had ever happened on one of her flights.
She had flown on 499 flights before this one, which was a pretty good record. However, she couldn’t have known that this would be the flight to break her impressive streak.
Turbulence
As soon as she completed her inspection, the plane began to shake with turbulence. The seatbelt sign would normally switch off once the plane reached cruising altitude, but this time it remained on.
Raquel could tell that a few passengers were growing nervous. She did her best to help them remain calm until the wind died down slightly. She slowly made her way back to her own seat, ensuring, once again, that everybody had their seatbelts fastened.
Before she could sit down, however, she noticed something peculiar. Like she always did, she made sure to check on the passengers that she thought would need some extra attention. While the old man and young family seemed perfectly fine, the young woman looked even more nervous than before.
A Nervous Woman
Before, the woman had seemed slightly uncomfortable, almost as though she was being watched. Now, however, the lady was sticking her head out of the aisle, looking more frantic than ever.
Raquel could see that something was seriously bothering the woman. She made her way to her seat and quietly asked if everything was okay. The woman froze before assuring Raquel that she was fine.
Raquel helped her recline her seat in an attempt to get her to relax. She informed her that she would return with the drink cart in a few minutes. The woman nodded, but Raquel could tell that something was still upsetting her.
Some Comfort
Raquel had two passions in life — travel and caring for others. For this reason, becoming a flight attendant was the obvious career choice. She could fly to unique destinations around the globe while catering to passengers.
She hated to see any of her passengers in distress, so she was going to do anything that she could to calm this young woman down. However, there was no way for her to know that these nerves could not be easily calmed.
Raquel hoped that providing the lady with a cup of hot coffee or tea would do the trick. It must have been the turbulence that was bothering her. Right? She must just be a nervous flier.
Drinks
Raquel and Phil started at the back of the plane. Each had their own drink cart and began slowly working their way towards the front. The pair stopped at each row, filling mugs and glasses with various sodas and coffee.
Most flight attendants hated working the drink carts, but Raquel actually didn’t mind it so much. It provided an opportunity to get to know the passengers a bit better. More so, she was able to provide words of comfort to those that she could see were a bit nervous.
As she made her way down the aisle, Raquel kept a close eye on each of the passengers. When she finally reached row 10, the nervous woman’s row, Raquel made sure to offer her a warm smile.
Coffee
Raquel again greeted the woman before asking if she could get anything from the drinks cart. Raquel made sure that her voice remained confident and calm despite the turbulence that shook the plane.
The woman’s hands gripped the armrests, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She asked for a cup of coffee, and Raquel chatted politely as she poured the hot drink, doing her best to keep her mind off the turbulence.
The lady refused any milk or sugar at first. However, when Raquel went to move to the next row, the woman suddenly exclaimed that she had forgotten something. Raquel could sense the panic in her voice.
Happy to Help
Raquel looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear what it was that she had forgotten. The lady bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should go through with what she had to say. She took a deep breath.
“Actually, I changed my mind,” she admitted before asking, “Could I please have some milk for my coffee?” Raquel nodded and poured a small cup of milk for the woman. While passing it to her, the lady quickly forced a small, crumpled piece of paper into her hand.
Raquel could tell that the passenger was nervous to hand her this note. However, she was insistent that she take it, looking at her with wide, frantic eyes. Raquel had no idea what she was in for.
Something Was Wrong
Raquel had never been in this position before. Most of her flight had gone off without a hitch, bar a few nervous or impatient passengers. However, as soon as Raquel laid eyes on this woman, she could tell that something was wrong.
More so, she hadn’t quite been able to shake that uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. It was almost as though her body had known something that she didn’t, preparing her for the flight ahead.
Now, as Raquel stood with this letter in her hand, the panicked woman staring at her expectantly, she wasn’t quite sure what to do next.
A Crumpled Note
Raquel couldn’t tell if she was more concerned or curious by the note. Obviously, she hated to see her passenger in distress. More so, the lady was so young that she felt responsible to help her in any way possible.
She opened the note cautiously. Her eyes immediately widened in shock, as she had not expected the contents of the letter. It read, “Help me. He’s not who he seems. 18D.” Raquel looked at the woman, who held eye contact but did not say anything else.
Raquel took a few moments to compose herself and consider what to do next. Her training had not prepared her for a situation like this. This woman was clearly in distress, and it was up to Raquel to help her.
Phil
Raquel had completely forgotten that Phil was standing nearby. He had watched the entire exchange with an expression of concern on his face. Once Raquel realized that he had also seen the note, she suddenly felt relieved.
Phil and Raquel made eye contact, silent conversion passing between the two. Without any hesitation, Raquel slipped the note into her pocket, nodded at the woman, and continued to pass through the aisles with the drink cart.
She did her best to remain as calm as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was make the other passengers nervous. She still had no idea what she was dealing with, but she would get to the bottom of this.
Remaining Calm
Phil and Raquel continued pouring drinks for the remaining passengers in an attempt to not cause any suspicion. Once they reached the front of the plane, they switched directions, returning down the aisles to collect any trash.
However, as they reached the back of the plane, Raquel grew anxious. She made sure to look at every passenger’s face, looking for any signs of distress or concern. Everything seemed to be in order.
Her heart began to beat faster and faster as she approached row 18. What would the man look like? Would he appear as threatening as he sounds? She was surprised to see seat 18D completely empty. Where had he gone?
An Empty Seat
Raquel’s face dropped, and her heart began beating even faster. She locked eyes with Phil, who looked just as concerned as she did. They both scanned the cabin, trying to locate the missing passenger.
The seat belt sign was still on, which meant that all passengers should still be strapped in. However, if the note was anything to go by, this passenger, in particular, was not one to follow the rules.
Where could he be? Raquel immediately looked down the aisle towards the nervous woman’s seat. She still looked panicked, but she was alone. The man was nowhere to be seen.
Frazzled
Raquel started to panic, as she had no idea what she was dealing with here. Was he a dangerous man who had some master plan to attack the entire plane? If the note was correct, how had he managed to fool airport security and board the flight in the first place?
All the worst-case scenarios ran through Raquel’s mind, and she had no idea what to do next. She had never, in 499 career flights, been faced with this sort of predicament.
She looked at Phil, who was still scanning the plane for the mysterious man. Was he feeling just as frazzled as she was? She couldn’t help but think he was much better at hiding it than her.
An Idea
Raquel then noticed that the red light was on at the back of the plane, indicating that there was someone in the bathroom. She knew that it must have been him. Raquel allowed herself to calm down slightly before turning to Phil.
She had an idea. There was no way that they would be able to defuse the situation without knowing what was happening. For this reason, she would have to speak to the woman one-on-one.
She asked him if he would be okay taking the cart by himself, and he nodded. Raquel then walked back down the aisle to row 10 and crouched down next to the woman. “Ma’am, I have that thing you requested at the front of the plane. Would you mind coming with me?”
An Explanation
The woman nodded and quickly followed Raquel to the front of the plane. Once they had some privacy, Raquel turned to her and asked, “Ma’am, can you tell me what is going on? Your note has us deeply concerned, and we need all of the details if we are to act appropriately?”
The lady took a deep breath before responding. She launched herself into an explanation, but Raquel could not have prepared herself for what she was about to hear. The lady started by introducing herself as Melanie.
She then explained that the man, Daniel Frankfurt, used to be a work colleague of hers. However, he started to get really creepy and obsessive, and Melanie responded by taking out a restraining order against him. However, she only felt safe once she moved across the country. This was the first time she had seen him since, and she had no idea how he had found her.
A Restraining Order
Raquel couldn’t help but think about how bad things must have been between Melanie and Daniel for her to take out a restraining order against him. This was the type of situation that takes place in a movie, not in real life.
Raquel instantly felt sorry for the young woman and wanted to do anything to help her. She couldn’t believe that a man who looked so harmless, albeit rather rude, could hide such a terrible secret.
How had he managed to find Melanie in the first place? Did he have some master plan to attack her on this flight? Raquel knew that she needed to calm down in order to find a sensible solution to this predicament.
Back to Her Seat
Raquel started by thanking the woman for feeling comfortable enough to explain the situation. She knew that it must not have been easy. She placed both hands on the woman’s shoulders before explaining that there might not be anything that they could do while in the air.
However, she would handle the situation once the plane had landed. She also assured Melanie that they would keep a close eye on both the man and her to ensure that no physical harm would come her way.
With this, she ushered Melanie back to her seat. She then noticed that the bathroom light was still on and that seat 18D remained empty. Why was he taking so long? Raquel was not sure how she was going to handle Daniel, but she knew that she had to do something.
Sticking to What She Knows
Raquel walked slowly towards the back of the plane, thoughts running through her head. She kept going through her training, but nothing she had learned had prepared her for this situation.
She kept reminding herself that there was probably an air marshal on board in case things ever turned violent, but she really hoped that it would not get that far. While deep in thought, Raquel almost missed the bathroom light turning from red to green. The man had finally left the bathroom.
He stalked towards her and passed by without a second glance. Raquel knew nothing about this man other than what Melanie had told her. However, she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine as he passed.
The Man in 18D
As soon as he left the bathroom, Raquel noticed that the mysterious man was one of the people she identified at the start of the flight — the man in all-black who refused to acknowledge the flight attendants when boarding the plane.
She had dealt with many passengers just like this one in her long career. However, none had ever turned out to be stalkers, which is what it seemed that she was dealing with here.
It scared Raquel how deceptive people can actually be. By looking at this man, she would never have thought that he could be an obsessed stalker. He might come across as a little rude, but he simply seemed like another unenthusiastic traveler… someone who would rather be at home than surrounded by hundreds of strangers.
A Debrief
As quietly as she could manage, Raquel debriefed her fellow flight attendants on the situation. She told them exactly what Melanie told her about the man in all-black clothing. As hers had done, their eyes widened as the story went on.
They then began to brainstorm ideas. Unanimously, they all agreed that there was nothing that they could really do while in the air, especially if he didn’t do anything violent or threatening. Essentially, they only had Melanie’s word to go off of.
For this reason, they decided that the best action plan was to keep an eye on Daniel and Melanie. For a few hours, nobody noticed anything out of the ordinary. It seemed as though a crisis had been averted.
Two Hours Later
Not having noticed anything out of the ordinary for more than two hours, the flight attendants allowed themselves to relax slightly. However, Raquel began to panic once again as soon as she saw the man in black stand up and begin to make his way towards row 10… Melanie’s row.
Raquel quickly looked towards the other flight attendants, ensuring that they were aware of the situation. This time, he definitely wasn’t going to the bathroom like he did before. As he walked, the plane suddenly shook with another bout of turbulence.
The man lost his balance, toppling over into one of the seats… It just so happened to be Melanie’s seat. Raquel immediately jumped up, certain this could not have been a coincidence. She had been waiting for the man to do something, and this was her cue.
Couldn’t Be a Coincidence
To most other people on the plane, the man falling onto Melanie would’ve looked like a coincidence. However, with what Raquel knew, she simply couldn’t accept that it had happened by chance.
Melanie was obviously frightened of this man, and it was Raquel’s responsibility to protect her, especially while on the plane. She had to come up with a solution… and quickly. The flight was only scheduled to take four hours, and they were already more than halfway in.
Raquel had no idea what this man’s intentions were with Melanie. Why did he choose to fall on her? Just to let Melanie know that he was there? Did he want to scare her even more than she already was?
Conferring with the Pilot
After the man stood up from his tumble, he continued towards the front of the plane. This time, he made his way to the bathroom up there. As soon as he entered and the light turned red, she made her way toward the cockpit with a plan formulated in her mind.
She knew that when things go wrong on a plane, the pilots are the ones with direct communication with air control. For this reason, she knew that she had to inform the captain of the situation.
This was her best bet at catching the stalker. After knocking lightly, she let herself in and greeted the pilots. She then informed them of the situation. They both nodded before calling into the Detroit airport to pass on the information.
The Police
Raquel was then told that the police would be waiting for their arrival at the airport. She felt an immediate sense of relief, knowing that the situation would be in someone else’s hands.
She obviously wanted to help Melanie, but she also felt that she wasn’t really the right person to handle this conflict. Raquel was good at her job, but this was completely new to her. She really had no idea the extent of how threatening Daniel was.
Raquel couldn’t wait to inform Melanie that the police would more than likely be taking Daniel into custody. The poor woman still looked so frightened, and it broke Raquel’s heart. No woman, or person for that matter, should ever feel so terrified or helpless.
Landing
The plane was nearing descent, which meant that Raquel could occupy herself with her regular flight attendant tasks. She moved from row to row, preparing the passengers and going through the relevant safety precautions.
The landing was relatively uneventful. As soon as the plane came to a standstill, Raquel quickly moved towards the man in 18D. She politely asked him to remain seated until the plane was empty. She could tell that he was rather disgruntled, as well as confused, but he agreed.
Raquel asked Melanie to wait as well. She could tell that this made her nervous, so Raquel promised that she would do everything possible to keep the two separated. There was no telling what would happen next, but at least the police were on standby.
Anger
As Raquel watched Melanie shake with nerves, she couldn’t help but feel anger bubble up inside her. She looked back at the man in 18D, who looked completely unfazed by the situation.
In fact, if anything, he looked annoyed by the inconvenience of having to wait longer than everybody else. He seemed completely oblivious to the fear that he was causing this young woman.
Raquel could not wait for justice to be served. If he was annoyed by a little bit of waiting, he was in for a very unpleasant surprise. More importantly, Melanie would finally be able to relax, knowing that her stalker was behind bars.
Come With Us
As soon as the plane had emptied completely, Daniel was allowed to disembark. However, instead of moving towards baggage claim like everybody else, he was greeted by the police. Raquel could tell that he was incredibly confused — even more so than before.
Daniel stopped dead in his tracks and asked what was going on. The police, who appeared much calmer than Raquel felt, assured him they only needed to ask him a few questions. Daniel followed them, along with Raquel and Melanie, who walked a few paces behind.
Daniel was taken into a room while another officer approached the two women. He turned to Melanie and said, “Ma’am, we want to get your side of the story as well. Do you mind coming with me so that you can confirm your story?”
Her Statement
This wasn’t at all surprising. Raquel knew that the police officers couldn’t just take Melanie’s word for it. They had to be able to confirm her story if they were to charge Daniel for violating his restraining order. In order for this to happen, they first needed to know what the full story actually was.
Raquel didn’t see how this could be a problem. After all, Melanie had felt comfortable enough to explain the situation to her. However, Raquel could see that Melanie looked incredibly uncomfortable (even more so than usual) talking to this police officer.
In fact, this was the most stressed that Raquel had seen her. She wanted to help the woman so badly, but it seemed as though she was simply making the situation worse.
Running
Raquel and the police officer looked expectantly at Melanie, awaiting her response. However, before she could even get a word out, she did something that neither of them expected. She started running. They both watched in shock as the young woman sprinted towards the airport doors.
Before Raquel even realized what was happening, the police officer began chasing after her. Something was very wrong, but Raquel had no idea what. Why would Melanie run away when the police officer only tried to help her?
A second police officer approached Raquel and asked her to give her statement. Of course, she agreed, although Melanie’s actions made her question the entire situation. The police officer thanked her before informing her that he would be back shortly with an update if she was interested.
Impatience
Raquel was desperate to know what was going on. The longer she waited without any updates, the more concerned she grew. What were the police officers talking to Daniel about? What could possibly be taking so long?
Finally, after what felt like hours, the door opened. Raquel jumped up, desperate to hear any news about Melanie. She had been expecting a police officer to walk out. However, she was as surprised as ever when she saw Daniel leave the room. He didn’t seem worried or stressed in any way.
He had finally taken his hat and sunglasses off, and without them, Raquel could see just how exhausted he was. When he saw Raquel, he walked straight up to her. Raquel was nervous, as she didn’t know who this man was. All he said before finally leaving the police station was, “That woman in there is not to be trusted.” With that, he walked away a free man.
Throwing a Fit
Raquel waited a while longer, still without any real answers. Finally, after another half an hour or so, Melanie appeared… in handcuffs. Raquel’s mouth dropped with surprise — that was the last thing she had expected to see.
As soon as Melanie saw her, she began struggling against the police officer, who was holding her by the shoulders. She started yelling for Raquel to help, but all that she could do was stand there, completely motionless. The same police officer from before walked up to Raquel as Melanie’s voice carried through the airport terminal.
“It was a good thing that you called the police,” he began, “Even if it was for the wrong person.” He chuckled, even though Raquel found the situation far from funny. She still had no idea what was going on. In fact, it felt as though she had been out of the loop for the entire day.
The Truth Always Comes Out
The police officer then began filling Raquel in on what really happened. As it turns out, the man’s name really was Daniel Frankfurt, but that was about the only truthful thing that Melanie had said. Daniel informed the officers that Melanie had messaged him on Facebook, asking him to meet her for a date.
As he had never met her in his life before, he simply ignored the message. She seemed to have taken it personally, as she then did everything that she possibly could in order to meet him. It seemed as though she had tried to stage a random run-in on the plane. That, or she was trying to get revenge on Daniel for not replying to her message.
Somehow, she even managed to get a hold of highly private information, such as his credit card bills and emails. Raquel was absolutely shocked. She had no idea how to respond. However, just as she thought the story couldn’t get any crazier, the police officer continued.
Unwell
He believed that Melanie was mentally unwell. Raquel had already spent the entire day thinking about how you can never judge a person based on first impressions. However, she had incorrectly judged Daniel based on his appearance and sometimes unfriendly behavior. She also considered Melanie a sweet and harmless woman, although she was actually the stalker in this situation.
Raquel simply couldn’t believe Melanie would try to get an innocent man arrested, simply because he had not replied to her Facebook message. She thanked the police officer for sorting everything out, even if it was not the outcome that she had expected.
Raquel took a few moments to shake out the shock from the past day. She then grabbed her things and left the airport. However, she couldn’t shake the fact that she had almost helped Melanie get an innocent man arrested. As soon as she settled into her taxi, she pulled out her phone and dialed Phil’s number. Boy, did she have a story for him…
