SCORE NEWS
U.S. CONSULATE TIJUANA STANDS READY TO
ASSIST AMERICAN TOURISTS IN BAJA CALIFORNIA
SCORE International President
and CEO Roger Norman, visited
with U.S. Consulate officials
in Mexico, to discuss ways in
which U.S. racing teams and
citizens visiting Mexico, can
get emergency help from the
U.S. Consulate. While many
topics were discussed about the
consulate having a presence
during SCORE events, Norman
and Consulate officials wanted
to begin by giving advice on
what to do in an emergency.
According to the U.S.
Consulate Tijuana, all U.S.
citizens travelling overseas
are encouraged to seek
consular assistance in case
of emergencies. If you are
hospitalized, arrested, or
if you or a loved one die
overseas, the Consulate can
assist you and your family in
navigating Mexican government
procedures. Generally, this
assistance comes from a
U.S. Embassy, but for larger
countries like Mexico, the United
States maintains a number of
Consulates in various states to
further assist its citizens. And for
the avid fans of Baja Racing, the
closest Consulate is in Tijuana.
What Your Country (the
Consulate) Can Do For You
1. If you are hospitalized: the
Consulate will work with
your family in the US and
the Mexican hospital to
arrange for a transfer to
a U.S. hospital by ground
or air (note however, that
these are private services
that the Consulate cannot
pay for).
2. If you are arrested: the
Consulate will talk to law
enforcement about the
nature of the charges and
explain them to you and
your designated family/
friends. We will also visit
you in jail if you are going
to be held for an extended
period of time.
3. If you lose your Passport:
the Consulate can issue
an emergency, one-year
validity passport, usually the
same day if necessary
.
4. While it is highly unlikely,
sometimes Americans
die while attending or
participating in race
events. In such cases,
the Consulate can assist
with the process of
claiming and returning
the remains to the U.S.
What You Can Do For
Your Country
Our job – and our ability to
quickly help you – is much
easier if you are prepared. We
have a lot of experience working
with Mexican authorities such as
hospitals or the police, but much
of our job also involves reaching
out to loved ones in the United
States to advise them on making
medical arrangements, posting
bail, sending money, etc. In
order to make this possible, we
strongly encourage overseas
travelers to provide current
contact information with their
travel registration. To register
your trip abroad, and to read
more about the benefits of
registration, please visit the State
Department's Travel website
at https://step.state.gov.
Check Your Coverage!
Before starting any foreign
travel, be sure to verify that
your health insurance covers
overseas treatment. Too often,
injuries or illnesses overseas
can lead to life-altering medical
bills that are not covered by
the traveler's existing health
insurance. Ask your provider
about adding overseas coverage,
or look into trip-specific
policies from companies that
specialize in travel insurance.
Summary
Register at https://step.
state.gov before you go
Review the Travel Warning and
Country specific information
for Mexico at https://travel.
state.gov/content/passports/
en/country/mexico.html
If you need assistance, call the
Consulate at (U.S.) 1-301-985-
8665, (Mexico) 664-977-2410, or
afterhours at (US) 619-692-2154
Follow the Spectator Guide
at http://score-international.
com/raceinfo/safety-guide/
spectator-guide/ SJ
010
SCORE JOURNAL
