I have a feeling that he wasn't carrying the USB-C cable because he expected some kind of guerilla-connector-change suddenly on the iPhone in his pocket, but it is being used with another device.
Even crazier - outside US its massively easier to find usbc cable compared to lightning. I hope those frequent days when some (usually the same but now always) colleague is running desperately around the office interrupting everybody looking for one will be finally over.
I don't understand this. When traveling internationally I've never had a problem locating a Lightning cable.
Though I have to mention, you shouldn't really shop for cables when you're traveling and need a new one. First stop by the front desk, they usually have a huge pile of charging cables people have left behind.
Anyone who has worked in an office outside of the USA has experienced the annoying iphone user asking everyone for a cable to charge his phone because he lost/broke/forgot it.
And not all the offices are close to a shop selling those kind of things nor do these persons feel they might be better off going shopping for one directly instead of disrupting a non negligible amount of workers.
I don't even know why people have to charge their phone midday and can't wait. Even when I am going out and extending the night until dawn, I usually have battery left until I go to bed.