It's enough to drive you round the bend - struck by a call of nature while in a traffic jam and not a loo within cooee.
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It's a familiar scenario for thousands of motorists who head south for long weekends and holidays, only to find themselves trapped on the Kiama Bends with only a queue of traffic ahead.
And when one is stuck in a 10-kilometre traffic jam, as happened last Easter, and one needs a restroom, what does one do?
According to Kiama council, many desperate motorists have taken to knocking on the door of at least one nearby home pleading to use the loo.
The Council is now looking at options to provide some relief to motorists (and the residents) by placing temporary toilet facilities within the Roads and Maritime Services rest area at Mount Pleasant, further south at Gerringong and at other suitable locations during holiday periods.
The council's director of engineering and works Bryan Whittaker said the council, RMS and NSW Police were discussing how to resolve the traffic gridlock that flowed through the Kiama township over Easter.
Mr Whittaker said concerns had been raised with council regarding the need for portable toilets for motorists stuck in holiday traffic. The council has received reports about one private residence "being burdened by motorists requiring access to toilets on the Kiama Bends".
While the nightmare holiday and weekend traffic conditions are expected to ease when the $329 million Princes Highway upgrade at Gerringong is completed mid-2015, motorists still face 12 months' worth of traffic problems in the interim.
Meantime, there will be changed traffic conditions at the Belinda Street and Fern Street intersections with the Princes Highway at Gerringong in coming weeks.
Night work will take place from Monday, June 2, to Thursday, June 5, to lay large drainage pipes underneath the road and build the road to protect the Princes Highway and Belinda Street from localised flooding.
Belinda Street will be closed between the Princes Highway and the existing railway bridge between 8pm and 5am.
Motorists can drive in and out of Gerringong by using Fern Street, while northbound motorists can use the Rose Valley Road U-turn bay to access Fern Street.
