The USB cables reminds me of a job my Dad told me about.
He is an ex telstra linesman, gets a call that a customer has no dial tone.
Gets there and the guy is a big greek farmer. Says he doesnt know what happened, phone no work. After testing, and asking a bunch more questions it turned out the farmer had been digging in the front yard. Cut clean through the phone cable, so tied both ends together and buried it.