The man worms his way in security check machine. Photo: screenshot of video posted by CCTV

A passenger catching a train at Beijing West Railway Station took a strange shortcut at the security check; he crawled onto the conveyor belt of the X-ray machine rather than take off his heavy coat and empty his pockets. 

A video posted by CCTV on social media, shows the man in a long winter coat approaching the security check. Instead of disrobing, he crawls head first onto the conveyor belt before astonished security personnel could stop him. 

"The man was wearing a lot of winter clothes and thought it was too much trouble to put his things through the X-ray machine one at a time," an unnamed security inspector told the CCTV.  "We stopped the machine as soon as we could," added the inspector. 

The video shows the man emerging from the far side of the X-ray machine and almost losing his balance as he stands on the rollers meant to send baggage to waiting passengers.

The man and his wife, who were traveling to their hometown for the Spring Festival holiday, were given a warning by police.  It's not known if he was required to pass through the security check a second time. 

"I think the man should have his head checked. X-ray radiation is harmful," wrote a netizen on Sina Weibo. 

"I bet dealing with the police was more troublesome and inconvenient than properly passing a security check," said another.