You are right. I use a camera for taking pictures:-)

If you are worried about getting out of the pedals with the straps tightened down, don't. If you start going down, you will pull your feet out no problem. Even with cleats that are the normal depth, you will find a way.

When are you riding with them with your feet not engaged?

To be honest, that little scrape sound is just good incentive to get my feet into the clips.

I rarely ever tighten my straps onto my feet. I do like the feeling of a tight strap from time to time- but 98% of the time (if not more) I don't tighten the straps, it's just rotate pedal, insert foot and go.

Only ride on grass, perhaps....

I have the same problem, so I am simply very careful with that bike.
Duct tape works to avoid scrapes.

I once delivered a mint Trek 1200 aluminum to a guy for his girlfriend, full 105 2x7 with toe clips and all. She promptly rode it next to the curb and mashed the R clip almost useless on the first rev. She leaned away from the curb on the next rev and bingo'd the L clip. We bent them back and eventually took them off for some MKS's.

I've been using the same chromed MKS clips for most of my riding, about 75% of it as a fixed gear, over the last 9.5 years.

I've dragged them a little bit, even smashed the tip of the clips on the ground a few times. It can be difficult sometimes riding fixed gear to get your foot in before the first revolution, so this style of riding may be more difficult on the clips and straps.

Only now, after nearly 10 years, am I thinking about replacing that set of clips. The right one, the foot that I remove when I stop at lights and such, is finally showing some wear and speckles of rust through the chrome.

One could sew those little leather strips on the toes. Meant more for protecting your shoes, they would also work for protecting the chrome on one's toe clips. If one was so inclined. Not me though. I just try to keep my crank arms at 3 and 9 o'clock while I straddle the bike, stick the right foot in with pedal forward, and go.