How about if they put it in a machine that verifies it as legit, but also just so happens to scan it in to a DB.

I've seen this exact setup before, in an entrance to a club, but no one seems to care.

I mean now we're getting into human psychology. You're right that people don't care as much but I'd argue that they don't really understand what is happening and how that data is used.

I'd wager that the vast majority of people think the machine only checks if the ID is valid and doesn't do anything else.

I would be put off by it as well, but good memory and cameras are harder to spot, so the lack of a notebook doesn't offer much protection.