Ugh, I hate security theaters.... Can I flash them my Global Entry card an go on my merry way?

Not a chance.

My politically incorrect guess would be that this set of security theater agents wants nothing to do with the extra work involved to search a pre-boarder (wheelchair) and the entire group gets a pass. Pure conjecture. Might be yet another reason to cheat.

For the record, ISP-TPA Tuesday morning, 15 wheelchairs loaded on. Despite several pleas to remain seated so the wheelchairs could reach the TPA gate, the vast majority left anyway. No news here...

Wow, just wow. And if you're lucky you'll get a mid-B? That's at least a few minutes of searching. What are they doing? A full pat down and extensive bag search?

I've seen TSA agents doing gate checks, but it was always just and ID check.

Anyway, I wonder if volunteering to be searched (if they are doing more than an ID check) before boarding would work, or if you asked they would say "we will search people at random, go sit back down" and then search you after you gave your BP to the GA even though you volunteered to do it earlier because of boarding position. Knowing the TSA, I suppose I shouldn't put it past them to do the latter.

+1

What's with this guy, Often1?

I remember seeing a thread about someone doing this a long time ago and were let on with preboards (or at least way earlier than their position)

They're bringing this back, huh? I always (whether selected or not) used to ask them "So, y'all admit you did a really crap job back there at the checkpoint, huh?" ... they seem to avert their eyes after that, for some reason.

Security Theater at its worst.

^^

Happened to me a few months back for STL-MDW.

They announced their intentions as people were lining up and spot checked ID's and some random pat downs. They did this just prior to boarding.

I too got the impression that this wasn't a "random" check. It was as if they were looking for something.

This happened to me once a few years ago. I was yanked aside once past the boarding screen, probably with A01.

2 TSA agents and their boss patted my legs and socks up & down repeatedly for a good minute+ and let me go without comment.

I had an older Windows mobile phone with a specific stylus (that was very necessary to operate) and post security I had discovered it missing. I probably went into a mild panic looking for it by ripping open the many areas of my bookbag and even took off my shoes to inspect since they were off at security.

I surmise a fellow passenger turned me in for "suspicious" behavior or I was watched by an eye-in-the-sky.

Our nation's finest!

I'd be livid if I was about to board as A-List Preferred and I was pulled out, only to have to board in the B's or C's

Somebody on the other end of a phone call would have a bad day.

Who you gonna call, TSA? Nothing WN can do about their antics.

Call who? And what exactly would that accomplish?

Ghostbusters!!

...and we know what great CS the TSA has!