For just over a year now, Keysha Scarfone has been a ferry supervisor for Golden Gate Ferry operations.
Keysha Scarfone’s friendly personality leaves people she meets with big smiles on their faces. She works for Golden Gate Ferry at the San Francisco Ferry Building.
BY MATT LARSON
Published: September, 2019
For just over a year now, Keysha Scarfone has been a ferry supervisor for Golden Gate Ferry operations. Most often found at the ferry terminal in San Francisco, she’s often pretty busy.
You may find her up front helping people tag their tickets to board the vessel, she could be out answering questions or helping commuters purchase tickets, she may also be operating the ramps for “landing and sending” the vessels so that people can get on and off the boats safely.
This is her first foray into the maritime Industry. Scarfone previously managed a number of small-animal veterinary hospitals for more than 10 years but she likes to think her prior experience is where she developed her excellent customer service skills.
“You have to be able to adapt,” she said. As not every customer at the vet would have a happy, healthy pet, not every commuter is having a great day either. “For the most part, the passengers and commuters are usually pretty happy, but there are days when a passenger is unhappy about something so I have to step in and switch gears to make them happy.”
Scarfone estimates she encounters a few thousand people every day, which suits her well because those interactions make up for her favorite part of the job. “I enjoy the people,” she said. She loves developing relationships with regular commuters and travelers as well. “I meet people from all over the world,” she said. “It’s really fun, and you never know who you’re going to meet from one day to the next.”
Scarfone’s magnetism often leaves all the people she meets with a big smile on their faces. What keeps her in such a good mood? In part, it’s due to just being around the water because it takes her back to her childhood.
“I grew up along the Gulf of Texas, near the Houston area,” she said, so working on the water is like second nature for her. While she loves working for the ferries, she unfortunately doesn’t get to commute on them herself. She currently resides in Santa Rosa, as her horses need a lot of space to roam around.
“I am a lifelong equestrian,” she said. Her grandparents got her into horses when she was just eight years old, and they’ve been a part of her life ever since.
Scarfone owns an 18-year-old horse named Lili. She is a Brabent, which is a very special type of Belgian draft horse. At about 1,600 pounds, Lili is majestic and has blue roan coloring. Scarfone also has a miniature horse, at 260 pounds, named Mayhem, who is also a blue roan.
“They’re like best friends,” Scarfone said. “I take them out all over the Bay Area; they go to the beach, I take them to the Marin Headlands all the time, I’ve ridden them through Golden Gate Park—that’s what I do!” she said. “When I’m not working here with the ferries I am out with my horses.” She hasn’t taken them to the ferry terminals. Yet.
Scarfone also travels by Porsche. She and her husband own a few and are active in the local Porsche community. Her dream car is a convertible 1956 Porsche 356A Speedster. “It’s just an absolutely beautiful car,” she said. “There’s something about the lines and the design of the early 356 Porsches that I just love.”
With breathtaking horses and masterpiece Porsches, you’d expect Scarfone might be hard to impress, but the views from the ferry get her every time. “I wish that I had the opportunity to take the ferry to and from the city,” she said. “The views are just amazing.” But she does enjoy getting to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge every day. And in case you’re wondering, you probably won’t see Scarfone with her horses on board, as the ferry boats are not really equipped for horses.
