Well, that deal is designed to keep some ding-bat from mowing off his kids legs, by trying to mow in reverse! It has happened! Just imagine how you would feel if you heard a loud banging noise coming from under your lawn tractor--you'd look down, just in time to see yer kid's foot, arm, leg, or head fly out of the discharge chute!
It has happened! And kids have been blinded by stuff being thrown out of a chute where the owner got dismayed, because the chute was catching on things, so he ripped it off! Yes, it was designed that way to make you pay attention to the task at hand. Otherwise, you would be paying attention to some high-priced attorney as he tries to get you off the hook!

I certainly wouldn't want you to disable a safety feature. I knew a guy who put on a similar PTO switch that didn't have the safely feature built in to it. Maybe it was spec'd for an earlier or different machine. He went "I dunno, it looked the same!" His misses literally hit him over the head w/ frying pan.

Im sorry i asked

Just a comment. You can not idiot proof anything. If you mow RESPONSIBLY with a machine without safety switches, you and your family can be quite safe as you will be watching where you mow and be aware of what is going on in the area surrounding the area you are mowing. You will always be aware of what is in front of your tractor and behind.

Where as the idiot who picks up his ipod and plugs it in his ear, and then day dreams his way across the yard will never be safe with all of the safety equipment in the world including the video cam connected to the police station where someone is watching to warn him when he is doing something stupid.

Remember most accidents are initiated with "Hey watch this!"

The thing i hate is the switch that shuts the engine down as soon as yer bottom leaves the seat!
I spend time going to get the battery jumper box, use it to start the engine, then get off the seat to disconnect it, and the engine stops----grrr! And won't restart because the battery is down or dead. So, i reconnect it, and the whole stupid process begins again.
And no, i can't afford to buy several new batteries, until someone buys the machine. It is no wonder folks figure out how to by-pass those seat switches. In normal lawn or yard work, i might have to leave the seat a number of times, and BINGO!! There it goes--stopped running. And maybe a long walk to get the jumper box!

rusty, et. al. - just gotta remember to set thet cl/brake lock before hopping off... yeah a PITA to some, but a lot easier om old batteries.