Dealing with Asthma Attacks on a bus

 

Asthma attacks are generally considered minor threats, if maintained properly, and are treated timeously and with the right medication or methods. However, there may come a point where, when stuck on a long bus journey, a passenger may suffer from an attack. This happens for a number of reasons, and at certain times, it cannot be helped. During a long bus journey, there are generally limited resources available to help the situation. This is why it is important to know how to treat it as effectively as possible (especially as a bus driver, who may be exposed to these situations at any time). The following are a few tips (adapted from the healthcare procedural manual for School bus drivers in Minnesota, USA:

 

·         Remain calm and reassure the person

·         Have them sit up and breathe evenly, breathing in through nose, and breathing out with pursed lips.

·         If an asthma episode is suspected, give sips of room temperature water (if available).

·         Elevate arms to shoulder level and provide support for the arms (back of seat).

·         Notify the bus dispatcher.

·         Give medication if ordered and available (most sufferers carry asthma inhalers with them).

 

Call emergency service personnel if:

 

▪      Lips are blue or nail beds are blue

▪      The person is having difficulty talking, walking or drinking

▪      “Quick relief” or “reliever” medication (inhaled reliever such

▪      as albuterol) is ineffective, unavailable, or used too recently to repeat.

▪      You see neck, throat, or chest retractions (Sucking in of the skin between

▪      There is nasal flaring when inhaling

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.Asthma attacks are generally considered minor threats, if maintained properly, and are treated timeously and with the right medication or methods. However, there may come a point where, when stuck on a long bus journey, a passenger may suffer from an attack. This happens for a number of reasons, and at certain times, it cannot be helped. During a long bus journey, there are generally limited resources available to help the situation. This is why it is important to know how to treat it as effectively as possible (especially as a bus driver, who may be exposed to these situations at any time). The following are a few tips (adapted from the healthcare procedural manual for School bus drivers in Minnesota, USA:

 

·         Remain calm and reassure the person

·         Have them sit up and breathe evenly, breathing in through nose, and breathing out with pursed lips.

·         If an asthma episode is suspected, give sips of room temperature water (if available).

·         Elevate arms to shoulder level and provide support for the arms (back of seat).

·         Notify the bus dispatcher.

·         Give medication if ordered and available (most sufferers carry asthma inhalers with them).

 

Call emergency service personnel if:

 

▪      Lips are blue or nail beds are blue

▪      The person is having difficulty talking, walking or drinking

▪      “Quick relief” or “reliever” medication (inhaled reliever such

▪      as albuterol) is ineffective, unavailable, or used too recently to repeat.

▪      You see neck, throat, or chest retractions (Sucking in of the skin between

▪      There is nasal flaring when inhaling

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

How to keep your kids entertained on the bus

 

We all know how kids can be when they are taken on long journeys. Their ability to sit still for hours on end is limited at best, and when confined to a tiny space it gets even worse. It is quite easy for a child to become restless or bored on a long distance drive, so it is important to bring something along that will help them keep their minds off of the distance and boredom.

 

Technology:

 

One of the easiest ways to keep a child entertained nowadays is by giving them access to technology. It will allow them to keep themselves entertained without having to bug you too much, so you are free to enjoy the scenery on your trip, or take a nap to pass the time.

 

Various technological options are available for your children, ranging from portable media players that can hold their favorite movies and TV shows, or handheld game consoles that will keep them entertained for a large portion of your trip.

 

Books:

 

While technology is the obvious choice children in this day and age, taking books and fun reading or puzzle solving material along for the ride might help entertain them when the batteries run dead, or they eventually get bored of playing the same game over and over.

 

Depending o your child’s reading level, take along some books that will entertain them, teach them, or allow them to develop skills such as puzzle solving and math skills (Sudoku and crosswords are always fun alternatives to books, as they are easily turned into games by children).

 

Traditional Fun:

 

If neither of the above options seem viable to you, you could always opt for more traditional methods of fun and time wasting. Since children love playing games, no matter where they are, use the scenery around you to amuse them. Play Eye Spy, word games or use sing-alongs (if you’re sure you’ll be able to live through all the noise).

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

Why busses sometimes run late

 

We all know how frustrating it can be to get held up in traffic or waiting for our selected mode of public transport to arrive, only to find out that it has been held up for almost an hour. At this point, a lot of people end up blaming the driver of the driver, or someone makes a comment on the poor service offered by the company in question.

However, these situations can occur for a number of reasons, many of which are completely out of the control of the driver or management of the service provider. For instance, if a public bus or any other shuttle service should end up running later than usual, or in some cases miss the scheduled trip completely it may be due to factors such as unscheduled breakdowns and/or mechanical issues, road blocks, faulty traffic lights or abnormal peak traffic times.

While most professional bus and public transport companies make it their objective to run operations that work on time every day, there will sometimes be challenges that have to be dealt with.

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

The Best part of Bus Travel.

 

The debate between whether the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to long distance bus travel has been drawn out countless times, and has never really been settled.

 

The cons, most obviously are that the ride is generally much longer than other forms of transport such as cars trains or planes. If you’re not a people person you should also stay away from it, as being stuck in a limited space with strangers could get some people a little worked up.

 

However, the upside to this form of travel, especially with larger, luxury coaches and busses (such as the ones offered by Citiliner), is that not only are you safer and more relaxed throughout your trip, it saves you money and allows you to spend more time with those around you.

 

When going on a long bus ride, remember that you will be spending a lot more time on the road than usual. Take something you enjoy doing with you, like a book, crossword, laptop, handheld game, etc. Try no to carry anything too bulky, because you have other people around you to consider.

 

You will also be able to sleep on the road (which is something you possibly couldn’t do if you were travelling alone in a car. The bus drivers at Citiliner are professional and are conditioned to take long trips. Frequent stops are made for everyone aboard to take a rest and refresh him or herself before hitting the road again.

 

Apart from being safer and more fun (due to the fact that you are surrounded by so many new people that you could converse with or entertain), the costs of travelling are generally lowered when moving in a bigger group. Toll fees, petrol fees and mechanical fees are all worked into the cost of your ticket, so the percentage paid by every person is generally much lower than it would be if you were travelling in a car with no one to split expenses with.

 

With all of this being said, the upside of bus travel seems to greatly outweigh the downside. So why not try it for yourself? You may find yourself enjoying it more than you would have imagined. Visit the Citiliner website or call the 24-hour dedicated customer care line with any enquiry on (083) 915-9000.

Long Trip Preparation

 

How to prepare for and enjoy a long bus journey

 

We all know how it feels to get bored on a long journey. If you’re not driving or doing something that demands your undivided attention, like sitting in a bus as a passenger during a 19 hour trip, it is easy to become distracted and uncomfortable.

 

This is why it is important to know what to do in order to prepare yourself for such a long, winding journey. There are countless options that will work well enough to keep you occupied for just long enough to perhaps survive the trip.

 

First, you may want to get yourself settled in as quickly as possible. Make sure you are comfortable in your seating position. Bring a small neck pillow or some sort of device that you can rest on if you plan on getting some sleep. Just make sure that its soft enough to allow you to sleep. Don’t try sleeping on your laptop bag!

 

Something that is very important, and should probably be stressed most of all, given our tendency to get bored as people, is entertainment. Bring something with you that you enjoy. Movies on a laptop, smartphone or tablet, music on a portable player, iPod or smartphone, games, books or crossword or Sudoku puzzles will all help keep you distracted when you get too fed up with staring out of the window.

 

Remember to take snacks and food with you onto the bus, especially if it is a long one. Staying hydrated and fed will help you relax and also stop you from losing concentration if you are doing something fun. Also, try to keep yourself in a good mood, and remember that there are other people on the bus too. Don’t make everything uncomfortable by being difficult or rude to the people sitting around you.

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

 

Citiliner gives you Rumors and Facts about the iPhone 5

 

Rumors and  Facts about the iPhone 5

 

Having entertainment on a long bus ride is something that is discussed over and over. Every person you speak to will have different ideas about how to pass the time, or how to entertain yourself and your friends on a long journey. However, there is one thing that is certain in this day and age – Change.

 

The way we keep ourselves entertained now is drastically different from how we did it twenty years ago. Even the way we travel is different. A few of the companies that have been at the forefront of this technological change are now seen as the regular few. Your Google, Apple, and Microsoft. And in the middle of all of this change, there are always rumors and ideas that float around, especially so close to product launches, and even more so before what has been called the most important launch in Apple’s history.

 

Apple Inc. have announced an event for September 12th, which is said to be the date for the expected iPhone 5 announcement, and while Apple has never been a company that lets anyone know what they’re doing beforehand, the rumors have started taking shape, and usually have at least some grounding in the truth. Here are some of the most common rumors that are making their rounds ahead of the iPhone 5 launch:

 

1. Thinner Screen, Higher Definition -  Some of the patents that have been filed on behalf of Apple over the past year have hinted towards having a thinner device with a screen around half an inch (1.8 cm) bigger. This may not seem like a massive growth in screen size but on a thinner device with higher resolution, it will make all the difference.

 

2. NFC Chip – The Near Field Communication chip is not the newest technology, but has only recently been added to possible features in smartphone technology. With this chip installed, users will be able to scan their smartphones at any pay point that takes credit or debit cards, which means that payments are easier and bank accounts can be managed from your phone. Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 6 also features a virtual wallet for coupons and discount tags, which may be the first step towards integrating this technology. However, there is no indication as to whether it the NFC will be available for this release or the next.

 

3. Smaller Charger dock – Some of the rumors, leaked design prints and images have showed a significantly smaller charging dock. Apple’s current 30-pin dock has been used in all product ranges since the iPod Nano. Some experts say that it is about time for a change, and this will most likely happen in the form of a much smaller 9-pin dock. However, this means that any accessories and chargers bought prior to the iPhone 5 will either be incompatible or will need some kind of extra adapter to work.

 

4. Nano SIM Card – Because of the thinner insides, Apple may be considering converting to an even smaller SIM card than the Micro SIM that has been used by past models. The New Nano SIM’s are half the size of the Micro, and could free up a lot of internal space for more important hardware.

 

5. LTE Network – Apple will have to switch over to the newly rolled out LTE networks that have faster speeds than 3G and are more stable. LTE speeds are able to reach almost 20MB/S, and will be the mobile data choice of the future. 3G has already been made secondary by most new Android/Samsung Galaxy models. And we all know that Apple is not one to be outplayed like that.

 

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the website or contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

Why taking a break from using gadgets may be important

 

Why taking a break from using gadgets may be important

 

So you’ve boarded the bus, and you’re about to depart. The trip you’re going on is scheduled to take between 16 and 18 hours, depending on traffic. First reactions in these situations would be to grab a laptop, cellphone, mobile gaming console or tablet. These gadgets have become out go-to boredom control devices, and while they certainly do provide countless hours of entertainment, it is important to remember that as in every other aspect of life, anything in excess could be quite bad for you.

 

There are a lot of opinions out there on whether or not you can be exposed to too much ‘screen-time’. As with any matter of this nature, the answer will usually lie somewhere in the middle of two extremes.

 

On the one hand, exposure to technology and gadgets such as televisions, cellphones, tablets and handheld gaming devices has shown significant increases in human behavior when it comes to things such as hand-eye coordination, critical reasoning, intellect and in some cases even social skills. Studies done in this area have shown that, while overexposure may begin to cause problems in people at any age, moderate use of technology has helped us grow in fundamental ways as human beings.

 

However, overexposing yourself to the harsh light and strenuous use of gadgets such as tablets, cellphones and portable media devices may lead to weakening eyesight, headaches, back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome and in extreme cases even more serious physiological and psychological issues.

 

A pragmatic solution to all of this fuss: moderate your intake, even on long bus journeys. Any activity you take part in during the trip should be fragmented into sessions of around 45 minutes to an hour, with a short 15 to 20 minute break in between. Using this time to rest your senses, get up and stretch your muscles, take a nap or engage in a different activity will help prevent any prolonged problems caused by the screen light and exhaustive usage of your gadgets.

 

Remember to always travel responsibly and make use of rest stops, hotels or guest lodges if needed, Travelling long distances is a draining exercise, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the website or contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

Paying made easier with Citiliner

 

Paying made easier with Citiliner

 

Citiliner is one of Southern Africa’s most affordable Bus travel service providers. Their semi-luxury coaches travel routes spanning the entire South African landscape, with a few extra routes in between. The company has, over the past few years built itself on excellent service, and now, they have introduced one more way to make purchasing your ticket easier.

 

PayD.net, one of the leading online payment firms in the country, hosts the new payment system. This payment method has become standardized and accepted throughout the country, and is simple and affordable.

 

The way it works is by you registering your debit or cheque PIN-based bank card on your profile (easily set up through the PayD website on PC and mobile). This setup will only happen the first time you use it, after which you will only be required to provide your cellphone number.

 

You can book your Citiliner tickets on the online service center or at any of the Greyhound terminals, after which you will be asked to enter your bank card PIN number on your MTN or Vodacom cell phone. Once your details have been confirmed, you will receive your tickets, and you can be on your way. It’s as easy as that.

 

This is just one of the many things that Citiliner is doing to make bus travel quicker and more convenient for you.

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the website or contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

Citiliner New Routes and Stops

 

The world is getting smaller and technology is rapidly expanding our reach, whether it’s to different areas within our own countries, different continents, or even to neighboring planets. The way we travel has also changed dramatically over the last century, and has made it easier to stay connected with faraway destinations.

 

Citiliner, one of the Southern Africa’s leading Semi Luxury coach service providers has now increased the number of its available routes throughout the region. There are also numerous specials running until August 15^th, which include discounted prices on tickets from any of the major departure points in South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Umtata). A new route has been added between Johannesburg and Cape Town, as of June 1^st, 2012, with a stopover in Bloemfontein on the trip either way.

 

Changes have also been made to arrival and departure points in some areas in order to make the process simpler and more accessible to customers. Pinetown and Bellville stops have now been changed to “12/14 St John’s Avenue, NPN Auto Centre, Shell Garage” and “8 Mabel Street (Off Durban Road) Oakdale” respectively. More information on these changes can be found online.

 

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the websiteor contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.

Power Saving Tips by Citiliner

The dreaded "Low Battery" cure

We all know how it feels to be at the mercy of the battery life of our favorite electronic devices. We panic at the sight of a flickering screen or ‘low battery’ message, but we expect our devices to somehow stay awake just as long as we do.  But lately, because of how much intense work our smartphones and laptops have to come with, battery power seems to dwindle down.

The thing with the gadgets we tend to take along with us on lengthy trips is that the batteries seem to never last as long as we need them to, even if we don’t use them all the time, the screen seems to go dead at the most inappropriate moment. This can be avoided by following some simple and useful tips on how to save power on your devices like iPods, smartphones, laptops and tablets.

1.    Switch off unnecessary connections - Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G connections constantly search the surrounding area for available connections if they aren’t currently connected to any. This constant searching takes a whole lot more power than maintaining an active connection. If you’re in an area or vehicle without access to WiFi or 3G networks, turn that functionality on your device off, or if its available as a feature, turn on ‘Airplane Mode’, which cuts all data and cellular connections to save significant battery power.

2.    If you have multiple applications open and running in the background, but you are only using one or two of them at a time, close the unnecessary ones. Any process running, even in the background, uses battery power to maintain itself. Small applications may seem insignificant, but it all adds up, and could save you an hour or two on your available time.

3.    Having a brightly lit background and screen may be convenient when you have access to a power source, but on a long trip, it may be necessary to compromise. Adjust your device’s brightness level to a point where it is still comfortable to see what is happening on the screen, but its not quite as bright as the sun. Usually, the mid-point of any brightness setting is a good place to be to save power and still maintain a clear screen.

4.    If you’re not planning on using a device for more than an hour, turn it off completely instead of just switching to standby. Sure, switching it back on takes some extra power, so switching it on and off every hour is not worth it, so make sure you’re prepared to leave it off for a significant period, or else the standby will continue to work away your battery power, even without being used.

Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the website or contact the 24 hour customer care line on 083 915 9000.