If you’ve ever been to New Jersey, then you understand the allure of leaving. But it seems the state that is the butt of many jokes is not doing anything to help its image. Road signs in the Garden State with the satanic reference “666” are disappearing at a rapid rate.

One of the more popular signs is the 66.6 mile marker on the New Jersey Turnpike. It seems that it is located in a remote enough area that people really have to know where it is to make an attempt at taking the satanic sign home. "Given the symbolism of the number and the fact that it is obviously done in the middle of night, and in the middle of nowhere, I can safely say that I'm not eager to meet the rocket scientists doing it," said Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The state also has a Route 666 that is a popular target. It costs the state about $50 a sign. This may seem like a small amount for government spending, but there are some areas that only have the “Route 666” sign up for a day or two before someone takes it home. Another area in the state had a simple solution: they changed the route to “665”.

According to the article, the good people right across the river in Pennsylvania also have a Route 666, but a state transportation spokesman said few signs, if any, have been stolen. Which just goes to prove when it comes to symbolizing hell, people prefer New Jersey.

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