To Hel and back? Not on bus 666 after Polish operator changes number
- The move comes after the service, referencing ‘the number of the beast’, drew complaints from religious groups
- Hel is a seaside resort popular with holidaymakers who are attracted by its sandy beaches and forest trails
Passengers taking the highway to Hel will no longer be able to travel on bus 666 after the local public transport operator changed the number of a service travelling to the popular Polish seaside resort following criticism from religious groups.
Hel is a magnet for holidaymakers who are attracted by its sandy beaches and forest trails, which bear scant resemblance to the fiery pit of eternal damnation its name evokes in the minds of English speakers.
Tourists and locals alike have long seen the funny side of the name and for many bus 666, referencing the “number of the beast” which is associated with Satan, was a harmless joke.
However, not everybody found it amusing and the service had run into criticism from some people who felt it offended their religious sensitivities.
“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,” said Marcin Szwaczyk from local bus company PKS Gdynia.