Push our stove's gas dial in and turn it some -- you can get gas without flame or clicking. Is this unsafe?

If this is an older stove it is designed for you to have to push in and then turn. this eliminates a big dog or a small child from just grabbing the knob and turning it. If this is a newer model with safetys then that push to turn again is a last ditch safety installed to keep small children from turn the knob.Get a guy out there to look at it or post some pictures of it for a more detailed discription.Most stove do not let raw gas out these days. Their are still some old old models out there that did work like that back in the day.