Originally Posted by halfbiked
So far my experience has been similar to yours, David in PA. I tried mine for the first time last night, on the way to pool. I was consciously aware of my feet being attached to the bike for the entire ride - and had no problems.
Which brings me to Mel Wade's comment:
Upon arriving at my destination, I did indeed unclip both feet. But I did so prior to coming to a complete stop. In the process of stopping, I managed to - unbeknownst to me - reclip into the left pedal. I didn't go all the way over, but it was a close one.
You may fall when you are first learning to clip in. I practiced on the grass for an hour. While my kids laughed and took pictures. Usually beginners get so focused on getting their 2nd foot clipped in that they don't get going well and fall over. The goal should be to clip in foot 1, get going, keep going (even it only one foot is clipped), let the second foot clip in while pedaling.
After you learn to clip in, you will not at first forget to unclip when stopping because you are still new, and it is fresh in you mind. The biggest danger comes when you get familiar with clippless and forget about it. That’s when you will go over at a stop sign, and always in front others.
After a while longer, unclipping will become so second nature that you will not have to think of it. Once I was going slowly down a rough road. I hit a tree root and the front wheal turned suddenly, sending me sailing off the bike. As I was falling I noticed that my legs instinctively unclipped themselves.