Petaluma Street Sighting - 1947 Studebaker M-5 Coupe Express pickup

Have you ever had those times when you really wanted to take pictures of a vehicle, but the town you're in is a small, close-knit community and there are neighborhood watch signs posted on every street light claiming that "We report all suspicious activity to the police"? It's a bit intimidating, even though a city street is public property and what I do is perfectly legal. Some people just freak out, and when there's risk of freaking them out it makes me nervous.
It all started about five years ago when I was berated by a woman who thought I was scoping out her street. Apparently someone had stolen several vehicles from her neighborhood at some point in the past and so the residents were on edge. I was told that the police would be called if she ever saw me again. I believe that I was within my rights to take pictures, since I never strayed onto anyone's private property and never touched anyone's car. But I can also understand why a person would be concerned that a perfect stranger is photographing every interesting vehicle on the street.