Things airport security screeners won't tell you

Jayne E Clark | USATODAY

TSA personnel feel as bad about confiscating that family-sized tube of toothpaste you inadvertently put in your carry-on, as you regret losing it.

That's according to former TSA agents speaking anonymously in an August Reader's Digest article headlined: 13 Things an Airport Screener Won't Tell You

Among other revelations:

-- Not all passengers get equal treatment. Passports from certain countries spark enhanced screenings from TSA personnel.

-- To avoid pat-downs, wear clothing with minimal pockets, zippers and buttons, which scanners read as suspicious. Avoid sequins, too.

-- Full-body scanners are less intrusive than they once were. Operators used to be able to detect breast implants and hernias, for instance. New equipment tones down the details and reveals only generic silhouettes.

-- No terrorists have been apprehended as a result of airport screening measures.