Originally Posted by TSAMGR
As an FYI, many of the X-Ray machines (especially the Smith-Heimann) calibrates itself by backing the belt up then proceeding forward. This happens often especially if a bag is cut on the screen. This is not controlled by the operator so when putting your laptop on the belt make sure the belt is moving forward and don't just load it behind a bag and walk away. We have tried to position the tables so the items won't fall but sometimes they get bumped and moved. I have sent a complaint to the manufacturer and suggested some type of stop at the end but don't expect much.
We had the Heimann model and that "feature" made a lot of people think we were idiots who didn't know which button to push.
Regarding the laptops, up here when I was working we had all electronics removed (still appears to be policy as I just flew last week). When I first started, however, we didn't remove any electronics and I often had difficulty seeing through bags with laptops. I felt more comfortable once they were required to be removed.