Originally Posted by
mikeon
If the person is worried about losing important items such as their laptop, they should put it last, or near last so that by the time they put it in, and the time they are on the other side, the person won't have to worry about someone making off with their laptop before the passenger can get to it.
Putting it in last is no answer, as the belt is frequently reversed, leaving the laptop exposed to folks outside security.
Best place is in the middle.