Feeling very uncomfortable about what I've just seen

[thatverynightinmaxsroom]

It's a really miserable day here today - wet, windy etc. Just driving home and saw a little girl (7ish?) walking alone down the street. I slowed down because it's unusual to see kids of that age alone outside round here and unusual to see anyone outside on a day like this!
She was followed by a little boy, similar age. She turned into a front garden and I thought she was going in but she just looked through the window. The boy sat down on a mat on the pavement outside the house (there was quite a lot of junk in the front garden).

I turned the car round, put the window down and asked if they were okay. At that point a man out his head out and yelled at them to come in.

I know it's not massive, most of us have probably seen worse, but I can't get the image of the little boy sitting on the sodden mat out of my head and I'm just wondering if anyone would do anything about this.

It's not such a totally different situation, actually. There are a fair few posters on here who are saying there's nothing to be alarmed about in the OP's reported scenario. And there may well not be. At face value, my scenario could be interpreted with a reasonable explanation, as you've suggested yourself.

So, at what point should alarm bells start ringing?

In my case, I happened to know that the child had quite a chaotic home life and could be considered vulnerable. I couldn't get back to her easily or quickly. So I did the next best thing and called the school's designated safeguarding bod, (hands-free, before anyone starts jumping up and down!), who leapt in her car and went to get her. Turns out she had no shoes on (which I hadn't seen from afar) and had run away from home and half the village was out looking for her. Dozens and dozens of cars had passed her - possibly those drivers had thought there would be a rational explanation and there was nothing amiss.

In things like this I am completely in favour of trusting your gut. You saw these children and if your gut tells you something is off then there is no harm at all to be had from reporting it. If there is nothing to be concerned about then it won't go any further, but if there is then it might add to a bigger picture.

It seldom hurts to mention things to the school (if you know it - not much help here, I don't suppose, if the OP was just driving past in a strange neighbourhood). Schools have the bigger picture - if it's nothing, then fine, but in some cases it can add an interesting or important piece to the jigsaw.