“Do any of you hand-holders hold your wifes hand for a reason other than derech chiba?”
When helping her across a rough patch of sidewalk (plenty of those in brooklyn), or when the streets are icy (plenty of those in brooklyn too, during the winter), older couples use each other for support. Is every interaction with ones wife “derech chiba”. Is every interaction with a woman in general “derech chiba”? Back to the KSA, do people have “hirhurim” when they see a couple holding hands? The KSA is clearly discussing these halachos and uses the term derech chiba and gives a reason as well. I’m not rendering an opinion whether it is muttar or asur to hold the hand of ones wife in public, but AM stating that not all interactions between a husband and wife are “derech chiba”, perhaps this is one of them. It may fall into the “nit shain” category as Rav Henoch Lebowitz Z’l used to call it, but assur, perhaps not.