I've gone through the Registered Traveller lane at DCA several times now. It isn't actually its own lane, but a special area where a staff member (there have always been two; even at the early morning hours) greets you, escorts you to the machine and stamps your BP (after passing the thumbrpint or iris scan). You then get to move to the front of the normal lines.

From that point on, the entire screening process is the same; shoe carnival and all. I'm not saying that because TSA did a credit check on me and saw that I've never been convicted of a felon that that means I should skip the WTMD's and go straight to the AC; but if my shoes don't beep; let me keep them on...

So, the program is still in pilot mode and has been great at bypassing long lines (even letting me catch earlier flights) but other than that I see now value in it. Of course, EDS with the contracts they one probably sees some value...

I just hope that when the program goes live it will not attract many participants, so I can continue jumping to the front of the line .

Well, that's contrary to what was promised, but, well, that's the government for you.

Isn't what was described by the OP about as much as you can expect in the current psychological environment?

I hope everyone gets one of these dumb cards -- that way folks like me can jump to the head of the long queue of those who have sold theirm souls to the government