I remember as a young teen I was spending the week with a girlfriend who lived in a town setting. ( I was raised in the country) We were walking down the side walk and she told me that if we noticed a car or someone following us we should just go up to the first house, open the door and walk in saying (really loud), "Grandma, we're home!" That way the person following us would just go on by.
Not sure how that would work in today's world. Now a days more houses are locked and you never know who's house you may be entering and it would be worse!
Our doors are locked at all times.