A portable toilet for Bob Dylan's hired help [paging William Zantzinger!] at his southern California compound is stinking up the oceanside neighborhood, and the folks across the street say they regularly fall ill from the stench.

Malibu homeowners Cindy and David Emminger said this morning that they have tried to contact the larger-than-life folk-rock icon about the smell, but they have had no success. The Emmingers said they also failed to get relief from the city or the company that owns the toilet.

The stink is so bad, Cindy Emminger said, that the couple and their 8-year-old son have had to move to the basement to flee the two-year-old smell. She said the odor is not from bodily waste but is "a really strong chemical smell" coming from the toilet.

She said she and her son have thrown up and suffered burning eyes and severe headaches as a result. Her husband has dodged symptoms so far, she said.