OK, now I've seen just about everything "nonsensical" with TSA ID checkers. TSO scanned my BP and the three-beep "precheck" clearance sounded. TSO looks at me and says, "is using precheck ok with you this morning?"

Huh? Is it ok with me? I answered, "that's fine", but my tongue wanted to say, "oh no, I insist that I get my sexual assault this morning."

Dumb.

"I'd be happier if it were the rule, not the exception, for everyone. And no one should have to show you an ID or BP."

I'll cut the TDC some slack on this.

• If you were traveling with a group of people, and the rest of them didn't qualify for PreCheck, you might choose to decline PreCheck in order to stay with your travel companions. That's not an unreasonable choice. But the TDC has no idea if you have travel companions --- and if the TDC asks "are you traveling with others today?", some would view the question as too personal and an attempt to make The Big Catch.
  
• If the ID checker responded to you by grumpily ordering you to "get in that PreCheck line over there", there would be plenty of folks who would object to the sour attitude and the demanding demeanor.

The TDC attempted to offer you access to PreCheck in a pleasant, undemanding manner. If the wording of the offer was a bit inelegant, it could have been much worse.

+1 - No. You're supposed to bash the Officer on FT because he didn't look in his crystal ball to make certain that OP wasn't traveling with others and wanted to stick with them. Plenty of people decline pre-check when traveling with family or colleagues. And, as you note, plenty of people would post a rant, "TSA made my wife cry because I was ordered through pre-check".

If TSA didn't create concerns about a traveler's physical safety (freedom from unwanted physical contact), this would not be an issue. The TSA created this situation, and only they can change it.

This is not something that crossed my mind; ok, perhaps acceptable as a possible explanation of the TSO's question. Although when I used to travel with family -- the TSA has eliminated any travel by my family members -- (and I see others doing this now), the entire family goes up together, so it's pretty obvious at that point. In this case, I was alone.

As for colleagues, I certainly wouldn't willingly accept the sexual abuse just because I were traveling with a work colleague or other person.

And of course, the other possible scenario: the three beeps sound, the TSO says, "you're eligible for precheck" and I can say, "thanks but not today; I'm ..<insert a reason here if desired>.." No need for a question.

Oh well...

The OP's question related to why anybody would say "no" and referred to the question as dumb. There are a number of reasons why someone would say "no" and that means the question isn't dumb.

Not a debate about anybody's personal views of the value of the checkpoint in the first place.

Sounds to me like the TSO was making a joke.

My thoughts exactly. ^^

What needs to end is this airport screening game of "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others" depending upon the government's flavor of the day.

If that was the TSO's intent, then let's hope for the TSO's family's sake that this TSO does not seek a career in standup (or sitdown) comedy because I didn't detect any attempt at humor in the verbal exchange.

Please don't capitalize the "o" in officer! It's insulting to real LEOs.

The title is incorrect anyway, capital or no capital. I wouldn't even capitalize the correct title "employee" or "clerk".

When referring to the job as a whole, capitalization of some words is correct: Tyranny of the Clerks, e.g.