I not only do piecing and quilting but I also sew clothes and period costumes - LOL!! Hence my online name.
Many times it is necessary to sew over pins when doing some types of garment construction particularly if you are working with silky, slippery or multi layers of fabric so that the desired shape and fit is achieved. I work for a few theater companies and have to produce a large number of garments in a short time period so hand basting a complete garment first is definitely not practical.
Although there are specific brands of sewing machines that are dedicated to the art of quilting, sewing machines are also used for many other purposes. When I hear the "never sew over pins or you will ruin your machine" statement, it makes me wonder about the quality and engineering of the machine.
I have a domestic Bernina 1630 that has sewn hundreds of garments and have never had a major problem other than a "few" broken needles and the occasional bent pin - this is one of the first computerized machines. In addition to this machine I have also used some of my older, vintage, domestic machines - overall, they have all metal parts and were built to "sew" and be used for many different purposes.