Employees and customers of downtown all-night convenience stores said they were not very concerned about attempted robberies, although several have occurred over the past two weeks at local stores.

Sgt. John Wilson of the State College Police Department said robbery is an uncommon occurrence in the area. Robberies run in cycles, and it is typical for long periods of time to pass before any robberies occur.

"Once in a while, we get one or two people out there doing it, so it spikes our numbers," he said.

Twelve cases of robbery were reported to police last year, according to the police department's 2002 crime report for the Borough of State College, College Township and Harris Township.

One man tried to rob two convenience stores in a row with a knife during the same weekend as the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, but was thwarted during his second attempt by store employees and customers.

Another man attempted to rob a convenience store with a knife last week, police said. Employees also stopped that robber, but he was able to escape the store before police arrived.

Andrew Grover, a clerk working the night shift at MinitMart, 106 N. Atherton St., said he was not frightened by the threat of robbery.

"If someone tried to rob this place, I'd laugh at them," Grover said. "I wouldn't give him shit."

Grover said anyone who would try to rob a convenience store is most likely only desperate and harmless. As a graduate of a local high school who has lived in this area for the past five years, Grover said he would likely know most community members who would try to rob him. If the robber knew him, he would ignore any demands and give the person a free meatball, Grover said.

However, if a stranger threatened Grover with a weapon, he said he still would not give the robber money. While official MinitMart policy advises employees to cooperate with demands and call police afterward, Grover said he would not feel scared denying someone money because the store is located on the corner of West College Avenue and North Atherton Street, close to the police department.

Hanging out in the store at 4:30 a.m., Grover's friend, Nathan Sauter, aka "The MinitMart Squatter," thrust a closed fist down on a table after motioning to a metal trash can lid he said he would use to subdue a robber.

Grover said he would try to fight anyone threatening him with a weapon if he were with another person, but he would be more willing to take on someone carrying a gun than someone wielding a knife. He said he did not believe anyone would dare to shoot and kill him. The possibility of being slashed or stabbed seems more likely, he said.

Two clerks at the Uni-Mart in Boalsburg, Route 322, disarmed a man carrying a knife who entered the store at 4 a.m. on July 17 demanding money. One employee was able to knock the knife from the man's hand with a metal cash tray and the other retrieved the weapon.

The man was able to flee the store before police arrived and was described as white, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a medium to stocky build and in his late teens to early 20s, police said. Police are still investigating the crime.

Police are not commenting on whether the most recent robbery attempt in Boalsburg was connected to any others or if it was a copycat crime.

At 4:35 a.m. on July 12, Gregory S. Meyer, 19, of 2290 Purdue Mountain Road, Bellefonte, allegedly tried to rob the Sheetz store at 2000 E. College Ave., police said. According to police records, Meyer's appearance and clothing matched the description of a man who robbed the Uni-Mart at the corner of West Whitehall Road and West College Avenue in Ferguson Township at 3:41 that same morning.

After his arrest, Meyer admitted to robbing the Sheetz store but not to any other robberies, police said.

Robberies occur at Sheetz stores far less than other convenience stores, said Dan McMahon, executive vice president of operations for Sheetz.

About eight years ago, Sheetz decided to place at least two people on duty at all times at any store, and someone would be hard pressed to find a store with less than three employees, McMahon said. In addition, Sheetz stores are very well lit and cash drawers carry small amounts of money. Safes are locked with two keys to prevent easy entry, and armored vehicles pick up all cash, he added.

To Grover, robbing a convenience store is not worth the effort or the consequences because the criminal would only end up gaining a couple hundred dollars.

"Anyone that's trying to rob a convenience store is an idiot," Grover said.

Jason Bisko, a clerk working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Uni-Mart on 200 E. College Ave., said he is required to place $20 bills in a safe if he has more than two of them in his register at the same time.

"It's almost not worth it to rob a Uni-Mart because the policy makes it almost certain we won't have 20s in our drawer," Bisko said.

At the most, someone robbing a Uni-Mart would get a couple $10 bills, a few $5 bills and some $1 bills, he said.

While Bisko does not work in an isolated location and has never been confronted by a robber, he realizes working the night shift is a dangerous occupation. As a small guy working alone, he would not be able to stand up against anyone with a weapon, he said.

The most trouble Bisko said he receives is from shoplifters and rowdy, intoxicated people.

"I've seen my share of the crazies," he said, mentioning a band of drunken girls who often walk behind the store's counter and assume they work there.