UP ALL NIGHT

William Salivdore, assistant supervisor for B&G Maintenance Co., buffs the floor in the dairy section at Wal-Mart. Members of hte crew work after midnight when there are fewer shoppers.

Luke Pabone works the late shift as a cashier at New Venice Gas & Oil at 10 S. West End Blvd. Pabone had just started the shift and said he wasn't used to it yet.

Everybody knows that factory workers, police officers, firefighters and medical personal have to work overnight shifts.

But in Cape Girardeau, there are an assortment of people who enjoy staying up all night.

Chad Rus, a student at Southeast Missouri State University, is a night owl.

He usually stays up all night, so shopping late -- or early as the case may be -- is convenient.

"I always shop late because there's no people," he said, "and no traffic jams or cart jams."

But other businesses aren't quite as tranquil. Convenience stores and restaurants are often bustling with late-night customers.

Amid sporadic yawns while consuming several cups of coffee, waitresses at Mr. B's Waffles and Deli prepare for work.

Because they work the overnight shift, the three waitresses need a little help getting started but staying awake isn't hard.

"We're busy," Trena Lawrence said. While the day shift has a lunch rush and evening crews have a dinner crowd, the "graveyard shift" gets busy several times during the early morning hours.

Crowds fill the restaurant after the bars close and again with early morning coffee drinkers, employees say.

There are a few regular groups that come in every day for coffee. "We can get what they order before they come in," Lawrence said.

Although working the late shift is more relaxed, it isn't always easy. It can interfere with sleep habits.

Pamela Pittman, relief manager at Schnuck's, said it's hard to adjust her schedule. She doesn't sleep for 24 hours after working overnight.

The grocery store is busy between midnight and 2 but slows down around 3, she said.

"It's amazing how many people come in and shop, especially with kids," she said.

Judy Smith, assistant manager at New Venice Gas and Oil on West End Boulevard, said she's often surprised at what customers are buying late at night.

"Sometimes at 3 a.m. people come in for a soda and you wonder what they're doing at 3 a.m. that they'd need a soda," she said.

But sodas are one of the store's most popular items.

Scott Hartline could be one of those people who needs an occasional caffeine boost because his job involves more than just staying awake.

The radio disc jockey helps keep other people awake while they work overnight.

"It's a blast when you're feeling good," said Hartline, who works from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. at KEZS-FM 103. "I just turn the music up louder."

He admits that he has a following but not as much as the morning or afternoon DJs.

"There's one bakery that calls every night and requests a song," he said, adding that other calls come from area factories or travelers.

While Hartline enjoys working overnights for now, a change might be good later.

"Down the line, the day shift might be easier but now I'd have to re-arrange my whole life," he said.

And Mike Williams did just that. After eight months of working the day shift, he returned to work last week as Wal-Mart Supercenter's night director.

Many of the discount store's customers are other swing-shift workers, he said.

"I like working at night because you can get more accomplished," he said, but added that he'd actually prefer the daytime hours combined with the night shift's work.

David Christy, night auditor at the Drury Lodge, stays up all night to wake hotel guests. As part of his duties, Christy makes wake up calls and checks guests out during the early morning.

Overnights were the shift he requested. "It works out well for me," said Christy, a student at Southeast Missouri State University.