Is That Really the Phone Number?

The Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign is picking up speed. They have the ad ready to go and a slow but steady influx of donations (they’ve raised $7500, with $1000 coming just in the past few days).

They also applied to get a phone number — that way, people interested in learning more about atheism because they saw the ad would have someone to talk to.

The person who assigned them a number must have a sense of humor about all this:

Whatever the case, chalk it up as odd, at the very least, that when the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign applied for a telephone number, it was assigned 812-666-4135.

Telephone number of the beast?

“We’re taking it with good humor,” said Caroline Klein, and Indiana University student who serves as public relations officer for the group. “It just happened to be the number they gave us.”

Dave Silverman puts this well:

I wish it was deliberate, and I wish I’d thought of it, because here’s an entire newspaper article which turns out to be an ad for the group — complete with telephone number. Now THAT’s Guerrilla Marketing!

(via No God Blog)

David D.G.

No way am I going to believe that was just a coincidence.

~David D.G.
James H

In the days when exchanges were hardwired, a Catholic school had the 666 exchange. When the newer technology came their way, they changed it.
Jennifurret

Our club’s mailing address is 566. I joke that our motto should be “Only one away from the devil!”
orDover

My phone number starts with 666 as well. When I was setting up service it was the first number that came up. The AT&T guy who was helping me said, “Oh, you’re not going to want this one.” I asked what he meant, and he recited the number. I told him I was fine with it. After all, it only left me with 4 other numbers to have to memorize. I also enjoy the shocked looks I get from people who ask for my number.
Eliza

Seattle Atheists next board meeting will be on 6/6 at 6pm. Makes it so easy to remember!

I like the opening of Wikipedia’s entry on 666:

666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667

Well, yup, that kind of puts it in perspective. It’s a number. How can people with any claim to rationality be afraid of a number??
Jim

666-4355, now that would have been hard to beat. Call letters would be 666-HELL. That 4135 is pretty dang close though.
James Koran

I wouldn’t mind getting 777 at the casino.
Jason R

666, that is hilarious!
Roe

They need to get a free Google Voice number, that way they can have that number ring upto 6 phones at once and the first person to answer takes the call.
Zhatt

When I worked for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, all the numbers for the department started with 666.