I think a combination of knowing the ins and outs of their entire neighborhood (including people's doors they could run to, places of social traffic, etc.,) and a xenophobia of strangers, strange cars, or anything generally out of the ordinary.
When I was growing up (in Philadelphia) I was lucky enough to belong to a big Irish family, with Aunts' houses on the shortest way home from school, and many of my family's friends in alternative routes. I was always told to avoid strangers and if I felt worried to move quickly towards a house where I knew people were home. I was also told to knock on random strangers doors, if I was ever in a situation where I felt I needed a grown-up around to deal with another grown-up.
|