I do, however, believe that the "glide free" rule is broken by most pilots on most flights.
Really?? - I don't plan to break it, and I don't believe I've ever been "forced" to by worse-than-forecast weather.
When there has been reason for an instructor to look over my flight planning it's been
"What height are you going to be flying over that bit?"
"x,000'"
"Why?"
"Glide clear rule."
"Jolly good."
(Of course, flying over Cambridge at 1,000', accidentally managing in the process to give passengers a good view of the city, isn't "breaking the glide clear rule", it's "joining cross-wind" which is a legitimate part of the landing procedure and therefore exempt from the glide clear rule.)