Unplugging from externally powered ExpressCard

I have a My Passport Essential SE, connected to my laptop by an IOGear ExpressCard USB 3.0.  To get USB 3 speeds, I plug in the ExpressCard’s power adapter, then plug in the Passport.  However, that means that when I disconnect the drive, I’m always unplugging it from a powered connection (even if the computer has been shut down).  What is the proper procedure for disconnecting and unplugging a drive in this case?  Obviously the first step is to either shutdown the computer or do a “safely remove”.  I could even then “safely remove” the ExpressCard.  But that still leaves the ExpressCard powered (and therefore the Passport is powered).  Should I unplug the EC’s power cord, then unplug the Passport?  Does it matter if I unplug the power first, given that the drive has been “safely removed”?  Since the drive is still powered, the light keeps blinking, so should I unplug it during one of the pauses while the drive light is off?  Does that matter?  Thanks for your thoughts. 

Let me try to be clearer than my post yesterday, plus this is a bigger question than the powered ExpressCard.

I have a My Passport Essential SE.  Can anyone confirm that it’s ok to unplug the drive during the states the user manual calls “idle” or “System standby” (indicated respectively by light “On steady” or “Slow flashing, approximately every 2.5 seconds”)?  I’m asking because the user manual actually says “Wait for the drive power/activity LED to turn off before disconnecting the drive from the computer.”  That’s a reasonable thing to expect (light off = drive off), but since the light never turns off, I can’t follow this instruction.  

When plugged into a USB 2 port on my laptop, then “safely removed”, the drive goes into idle mode (light on steady).  In an attempt to get USB 3.0 speeds, I connect it to my laptop by an IOGear ExpressCard USB 3.0, which has its own external power adapter.  As for USB 2, the drive goes into idle when “safely removed”. 

Further, because the ExpressCard has its own power, shutting down the computer doesn’t cut power to the EC or the Passport.  That’s when I see what I think is system standby mode (I see closer to a 3 second flash pattern). 

So, is there any reason not to unplug the drive while in either idle or standby mode?

And how do we suggest to WD that they improve one or both of the manual and the light behavior to cover these situations, to be clearer about when it’s ok to disconnect or remove the drive?

Thanks.