In the seattle Times article The inside story of MCAS: How Boeing’s 737 MAX system gained power and lost safeguards --
The following quote does not seem to have raised any comments here
For example, there is a cutout switch in the control column so that when a pilot pulls or pushes in the opposite direction to a runaway stabilizer, it cuts electric power to the stabilizer. When MCAS is active, this cutout switch doesn’t work, which could surprise a pilot who didn’t know about the system.
Seems to me thats a major gotcha - leaving HAL in full command and the pilot wondering WTF for more than 3 seconds the first time- and then HAL repeats it again and again - How on earth did anyone allow that little change in wiring ( software ? ) get by anyone ??