That dude at the repair shop saw my melted port and just sighed

Last spring my phone died at a bus stop in Portland and a stranger let me use his charger. My port was so scorched it wouldn't grip his cable, and he watched it fall out twice before saying, "Man, you really cooked this thing." He pulled out a pocket knife and scraped some burnt gunk out of the socket, got it to charge just enough to call a ride. Never caught his name, but I still think about how he fixed a $30 problem with a blade and patience. Has anyone else had a stranger save them with a random tool like that?

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1 Comment

mason.paige21d ago

That "scraped some burnt gunk" part got me. I had a similar thing happen with a jammed USB stick at a library. Some older guy saw me struggling and pulled out a paperclip, bent it into a tiny hook, and fished out this crud that was stuck inside. But honestly, a pocket knife on a phone port feels risky. If he slipped, he could have wrecked the pins even more. Still, I get it, when you're stranded and desperate, you take the help that shows up. I'm glad it worked for you, but I'd probably just buy a new cable and clean it with a toothpick next time.

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