BLAINE, Wash. -- The border crossing in this northern Washington town is one of the first in the country to use new technology to eliminate travel headaches.

The change allows agents to concentrate on catching the bad guys, but speed you on your way.

The border can be a royal pain, what seems like an all-day wait.

"We are all so conscious about the environment, but when you get to the border, sometimes it's a two, three hour wait. Imagine the gas that you and everyone else in the lineup is wasting," said Susan Williams, frequent border crosser.

But Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony signaled a turn in national policy. Here in Blaine and at Nogales, Arizona, the border patrol turned on electronic recognition devices.

The first car through had five passengers. Each had a new Washington enhanced driver's license, which doubles as proof of U.S. Citizenship. The machine recognized all five and five pictures appeared on a computer scene inside a guard house,

"It's a great expectation to expedite traffic through versus me having to type with my ten thumbs," said Chief Tom Schreiber of the U.S. border protection.

These electronic doodads will save about 8 seconds for each person, and officials say that's eight seconds more they can spend with the bad guys.

Some worry these new electronic cards can be tracking devices, spelling out everywhere you go. But we found regular travelers don't care.

"We are just law-abiding people. We don't have anything to worry about. We don't have any hang-ups about anything," said frequent traveler Don Williams.

"I have nothing to hide, I don't care. Maybe it will catch someone who is doing something wrong," said Vic Nightscales.

If you still worry that Homeland Security officials could spy on you, just slip the card into a protective case provided with each access card. Then no one can read anything.

State licensing director Liz Luce says she's confident the system works, and no one will be able to spy on drivers. Federal officials say this isn't Big Brother watching; it's just a way to get traffic moving safely and quickly.

If you're really concerned about the new ID cards, opt for a regular passport instead.