SAN FRANCISCO -- Somewhere in San Francisco Wednesday Satan's Cab will be on the street after the city's Taxi Commission voted 5-1 to keep medallion 666 in circulation.

The decision came after nearly 30 minutes of humor and debate Tuesday night over a request by cab driver Michael Byrne to exchange his medallion for a new one. Byrne asked for the change because he said his life has been filled with bad luck since he was issued the 666 medallion.

Commission President Paul Gillespie told the gathering he favored granting Byrne's request, but cab driver's union president Thomas George-Williams -- who wore red horns for the vote -- wasn't so sure.

"How dare you take Lucifer's number away,'' he told the gathering."This is a serious issue.''

Byrne asked for the vote in a two-page memo, claiming that years ago the cab bearing this number was burned to a crisp -- and the only thing visible in the rubble were the numbers 666.

He added that he's had at least one accident and several deaths in his family in the year he's had the number, even though he had the cab blessed at Mission Dolores.

But commission vice president Patricia Breslin wasn't moved.

"Where does it end?'' Vice President Patricia Breslin told the gathering. "I lived at an address of 666 and I did not go over to the dark side.''

But Byrnes could not provide an answer, he didn't attend the meeting.

Breslin's colleagues agreed with her with Gillespie casting the lone vote in Byrnes favor.