- A Southwest passenger had an unidentified liquid dripping on her throughout a domestic flight.
- A TikTok video shows the yellowish liquid dripping from the overhead storage compartment.
A Southwest Airlines passenger described enduring what felt like "Chinese water torture" during a domestic flight as she sat under a constant drip of an unidentified liquid.
The New York Post reported that Sophie Shaw, 24, was traveling from San Jose to Santa Ana, both in California, last month.
The Post, citing an interview Shaw gave to Kennedy News, reported that Shaw fell asleep shortly after takeoff, only to wake up to the realization that her "leg and seat were completely soaked."
She told Kennedy News that she initially thought a fellow passenger had spilled their drink on her, but she noticed a "big drip" coming from the overhead storage compartment.
In a TikTok video, now viewed over four million times, Shaw showcased the slightly yellow liquid dripping from above.
@pocketmouse35 Im filing a claim dw #southwest #flightattendant #flighthorrorstories #flying #travel #traveltiktok #plane ♬ Lifehack - Itsyourboymrkebs
Shaw told Kennedy News that the cabin crew put paper towels in the overhead storage compartment to try to improve the situation.
However, she claimed that when she asked for help, the crew members were not "sympathetic whatsoever."
According to The Post, Shaw said she felt as if she was a "nuisance" and was told by a flight attendant that the plane was too full to move either her or the luggage.
"I was basically sitting in a puddle," Shaw told Kennedy News, before comparing it to Chinese water torture, which involves holding a victim in place and slowly dripping cold water on their face.
Shaw told the news agency that it was the "worst experience on a plane" she had ever had.
"It was really disgusting to sit through and I was feeling pretty grossed out the entire time so I literally just closed my eyes and listened to music to try and block it out," she said in her interview with Kennedy News.
Shaw added that the cabin crew should have offered to clean up the mess "at the bare minimum" and tried to rearrange the luggage to prevent further dripping.
According to The Post, Shaw filed a complaint to the help desk, who advised her to send an online claim, which she did.
Southwest offered her $150 as compensation, less than the $160 she paid for the flight, the newspaper reported.
Southwest did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, which was set outside of operating hours.