Guaranteed precheck vs. randomized secondary is one thing, the hours the TSA maintains at some airports for Precheck is beyond ridiculous. It's one thing when an airport doesn't have the upgraded x-ray for Precheck (reasoning given to me at more than one airport), it's another when they blame staffing for that when they have five people standing around chatting after the AIT/WTMD) and then they blame "metrics" (essentially that there aren't enough passengers worth it to keep Precheck lately). And even when you trust the hours, they still aren't open.

Latest example: EWR Terminal A on a Tuesday. Arrive for a 7AM flight, get to the security checkpoint at 6AM. Precheck lane is closed, get my "light" card. Spend 30 minutes in line and I'm still nowhere near the front, my flight is about to begin boarding, finally get to the x-ray and get through at 6:42AM to rush to my gate.

According to the TSA website, that Precheck lane should have been open as of 5am. But, of course, it wasn't.

If this is a one off I could start blaming operational concerns, but I've had that happen three times now in a row. I've given up and started clearing Pre at Terminal C, and then taking the shuttle bus on the sterile side to Terminal A.