Where is this? I'ma frequent flyer, and have never once been sled to open my laptop nor have I ever seen anyone asked to do so (outside a short period after 9/11)
To/from UK I've been asked "back then" when the craze started; in the last 4 years, never once. Which is correct: they are not scanning the laptop but rather the bag which the laptop would obstruct. Once it's out it doesn't really matter how it's packaged.