I'm not presumptuous enough to start an argument with someone I don't know and who very well could have years more experience than I do, but as far as I understood the SLC FSDO guy I talked to today, that's not the case here in UT (unless the exception you mentioned is just accepted as the rule here). He indicated to me that there are five DPEs who do all of the initial checkrides for the FSDO, and there is realistically zero chance of going with a FSDO guy...ever. He didn't mention anything about a waiver number, either. Maybe I didn't understand something.

I'd really like to fly up to Boise to do the checkride, but by the time I do that, take the checkride, and come back, I might as well just pay the $550 down here. Oh well...I'd just better be one of the 25% (according to the FSDO station manager here) who pass on the first try. I don't want to end up forking out $700-$800 for this thing.