I feel like just saying it without being PC. Riding along on PBP rubs me the wrong way personally. There are riders who made enormous sacrifices to qualify, overcoming all manner of things. Over 3,000 volunteers giving of their time to make this the premiere cycling event for randonneurs. Joining the ride without qualifying, registering, and stopping at the controls is disrespectful and wrong.
I wonder how OP, a 3 x Transcontinental Race veteran, would feel if I just decided to jump into TCR and onto his wheel. Doing a SR should be a literal pique-nique for anyone who completed TCR and as for the hassle of the registration process, it took me under a minute online.