I have to ask what it is about a QR that defies common sense? I've used them
for years, no one ever showed me how, and they seemed as straightforward as can
be from day one. What am I missing???
I have seen folks who simply tighten the QR like a nut, without using the lever portion as a lever, simply as a handle to twist the nut part of the QR as tight as they can get it, missing the added tightness of closing the lever. This is what I am concerned about, and it is great that it never occurred to you to do that. Doing this could be very dangerous, especially on a rear dropout with no "lawyer's tabs."