A local Polish public transport operator altered its “666” route to the seaside resort of Hel to “669” Tuesday following criticism from Christian groups, a spokesperson for the bus company says.
Renowned for its sandy beaches and forest trails, the Hel Peninsula has been in high demand among local tourists as a holiday destination, according to Reuters. The bus service’s route number, “666,” is traditionally associated with the “number of the beast,” a symbol of Satan in the Christian denomination.
After people protested having a bus number signifying the devil leading to a place that sounds like the word “hell” in English, it will run as Bus 669 starting June 24. https://t.co/uT0XROGh0M
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) June 14, 2023
The route has been the target of complaints from individuals and Christian organizations for nearly a decade, Reuters reported. “The Management Board buckled under the weight of letters and requests that were sent to us, maybe not in large numbers, but cyclically for many years with a request to change the line number,” Marcin Szwaczyk, a representative of the local bus company PKS Gdynia, told the outlet. (RELATED: Satanic Temple Sues Pennsylvania School District After ‘Satan Club’ Gets Shot Down)
The Catholic group Fronda decried the usage of the 666 number as “Satanic stupidity,” in 2018, adding that “hell is the negation of humanity. It is eternal death and suffering,” Reuters reported.
The new 669 service is scheduled to start operating June 24. Despite the change, Szwaczyk said the return of the original 666 route is not out of the question. “If in fact the response is large and strong enough to restore the line 666, it seems to me that we will listen to our passengers and change this number,” he told the outlet, highlighting the operator’s willingness to adapt to passenger demand.