For people used to the sunlight, the overnight shift might seem like cruel and usual punishment. But for many workers along Frederica Street, the early morning shift is a regular part of their day. At the Shell station on south Frederica, the morning papers from both Owensboro and Louisville have already arrived, and employee Dee Edge browses through one to pass the time. Her shift mate, Rusty Rickard, waits behind the counter. People don't buy much at night, Edge said, although soft drinks and cigarettes are popular.
People also buy condoms, which are kept behind the front counter.
But no one, Edge said, ever asks for one aloud. But after 3 a.m., business drops off. Downtown business Jim Roberts usually arrives at Barney's Callas Grill by 3 a.m. Roberts is both the owner and one of the cooks. Most of his day is spent at the restaurant.