What about in SFO where its not the TSA there? And I know SFO likes the name game.
What can the TSA actually do? I know they try to do a lot (from ID check after security to scare the pax) to hand swabs, bottle swabs, etc. I'm going to by flying domestically a bit these coming months and I just want to know what can/can not be done. (though I should know this but haven't traveled really back to the USA for a while now)

January 28, about noon, at LGA Terminal D (Delta): I hand over my boarding pass and Global Entry card to a very nice woman at the Pre-check entrance. She makes her squiggles, I get the three beeps (approved for Pre-check), and she asks, "State your name." I say, "It's right there on my boarding pass and ID." She says that they have to ask me to state it. I refuse, saying that I don't like to state my name in front of hundreds of strangers who don't need to know who I am. I offer to whisper my name in her ear. She agrees. I lean in very, very close, pull back her hair (!) and -- breathily and erotically -- whisper my name slowly into her ear. She nods approvingly and send me into Pre-check, which goes very quickly.

After I get through, I tell this little story to a gaggle of supervisors on the other side. I rant endlessly about how pointless and stupid this is. One rather nice guy engages me and says that there are reasons for the procedure that I can't know. Really?! I speculate that they are hoping to trip up some "bad guy" who forgot the name on his fake ID. The sup agrees that's one reason. I question whether a trained terrorist traveling under an assumed name would somehow forget what name he is using that day! The sup agrees that it's pretty far-fetched.

Finally, I ask him to discuss this nonsensical bit of theater at their next management meeting. He agrees and offers a comment card. I pass on that and go on to my flight.

Bruce

had a similar interaction with the doc checker on my last trip through SFO (contracted screeners).

TDC: state your name
me: it's right there in your hand on my BP and ID
TDC: I know, but we have to ask you to state your name
me: then, since you've asked, you've done a great job at complying with your policy. Nice job !
Then I walked on to the rest of the screening process without further interruption or escalation.

Moral of the story: just because they have a policy that requires them to ask, does not mean that there's a law that requires me to state my name.

Name game fun
 

Had a delightful exchange with ID checking TSO who obviously couldn´t figure out what to do with me. After handing in my passport and boarding pass this happened:

TSO: How do you pronounce your name?
Me, absent-mindingly looking at him and muttering: Hum?
TSO: What is your name?
Me, pointing to appropriate place in the passport: Here.
TSO (obviously uncomfortable because I approached him to point): Can you pronounce your name?
Me, looking as clueless as I could: Yes. (as in yes, I do know how to pronounce my name)
TSO: Please pronounce your name now.
Me: Hum?
TSO: You need to pronounce your name.
Me: Yes. (sure, I do sometimes need to pronounce my name!)
TSO, very slowly and showing signs of frustration: What is your name?
Me, pointing again to passport, while TSO tries to get it out of my reach: I showed it to you before.
TSO, now furious because he found out I do speak English: Why won´t you say your name?
Me, still acting clueless: Why should I?

At this point quite a line had formed, and the lack of movement and obviously ridiculous exchange annoys the man behind me visibly. TSO gives up and waves me through.

The joy of small wins!

well played ^ . I find the game to be most fun when I act completely stupid, unable to understand their basic commands.

Then, when they give up and send me on, I turn around and ask them "so I'm curious how many terrorists you've actually caught with all that 'name game' nonsense".

Abbott and Costello would be proud… Which airport was this?

BOS, where I know by experience that the name game is followed by SPOTish questions such as what your destination is, where are you staying there, etc, which I will not answer under any circumstance because it actually decreases my safety as a woman traveling alone.

It's even more fun if you start speaking another language while they attempt to play the name-game :D

I´ve done that before, but I find it more amusing to play incredibly dumb. It exasperates the SPOTer more.

Was traveling with my three year old daughter last week and as we approached the TSA agent checking our IDs, my daughter immediately recited to the agent her first name, mine, and my husband's! Apparently she has traveled so much that she is now determined to beat the TSA agent at the name game. The agent had a good laugh.

I would use it as a teaching moment to reinforce the "Don't talk to strangers even if they're in uniform, unless directed to by a parent" rule. Hate to say your daughter's conditioning and uniform-obedience needs to be undone for her own safety.

IAH Terminal C was playing last night. First time I've seen it anywhere in several months. Almost felt like the TDC was doing it of her own accord just because she wanted to and not because she was being made to.

Unfortunately, I've just decided to play along and pick bigger battles, so that's what I did. IAH has once of the most cursory Precheck lines I've ever encountered (if that's even possible) and I wasn't interested in jeopardizing my privileges. Yes, I feel dirty about it.

Happened yesterday at JFK as I transferred from an international flight to a domestic connection. I was so jet-lagged from my epic journey that it did not register until I was in the terminal. :(

Plead the fifth
 

Right, had called TSA just to ask them how to apply as an agent, instead had a guy ask me my name and location. Which is strange. refused to give him my name and location because it is none of his business or that of T.S.A. Next time 'll just plead the fifth.v

unnecessary.