I understand the reluctance to submit to a background check, being photographed and fingerprinted, and having to pay a fee in order to get a faster trip through the security line. I had the same reservations, but then on one trip as I was standing in line to go through the "You're guilty, hands up" nude-o-scope, I watched as other people breezed right through in the Pre-check line, didn't have to take off their shoes, and just walked through the metal detector. They were through security in just a couple of minutes. That was the point at which I decided that Pre-check was the way to go.

If $85 for Pre-check, or $100 for Global Entry is too much money, there is a third option: Nexus. It costs only $50 and is good for five years. It gets you the same benefits as Global Entry, plus  you can use the Nexus express lanes when driving into Canada. The drawback is that the nearest enrollment centers are at the Seattle airport and in Blaine, Washington.