Why should my feet be attached to the pedals?

[Eden]

I also have my clip-in tension set pretty loose, so that anything stronger than a hiccup releases the cleat almost automatically. So, if I panic and can't turn my heel out in time, I basically pop out straight up! The set-up has been working almost perfectly for me for over a year now.

Be very careful with that - if you do ever have occasion to stand up or try to sprint away (say you get chased by a dog or are trying to get out of the way of a car) you can take a nasty spill if both of your feet pop out of your cleats at the same time.