Joseph: “Zogt, in Rav Shlomo Zalman’s letter replying to the Tzitz Eliezer, RSZA says there’s reason to be meikel on this inyan today due to the conditions in the street today, with so many women in public unlike in the past, that it is often difficult to avoid the situation. But Rav Shlomo Zalman is clear it is a b’dieved, not a l’chatchila like some posters here are posturing.”
According to the way Rav Frand quotes him, it sounds like in a situation where it would be considered rude for the guy to go first (like on a date, or if she is an Eishes Chaveir), the guy should let the girl go first.
I’m not sure what you mean by b’dieved. Technically, b’dieved means “after the fact” which is not really relevant here. I assume that you mean that it is something one should only do in certain circumstances – when there are other issues involved such as granting respect to an Eishes Chaveir, or being polite to your date. That is the only type of circumstance that anyone was discussing here. I am not sure what the halacha is when that is not the case, since it was not 100% clear to me from Rav Frand’s shiur, but we were not discussing any other situation.
Also, you seem to be implying that Rav Shlomo Zalman is just saying that today there is no choice because there are so many women on the street. According to the way that Rabbi Frand quoted him, the point was that because there are so many women on the street, the inyan does not apply (or does not apply as much -I’m not sure which), because men are used to seeing women on the street.