Remember that summer we read
Bukowski
and
Haruki Murakami
while working at that phone bank? I've done some stories based on that experience as well. Also adding more intrigue as you said into people and situations.
I spent the first few weeks of that job reading
Bukowski
. Besides for Post Office, I read all of his books. His stories fit in with this job, because I felt like I was having one over on 'the man', and this was exactly what Buk valued. Living on...