Of course, that was easy for Snake to say, as he did not fully comprehend the extent to which The City had control over itself (and over its occupants.) But there was also the flip-side to this entire situation. It was possible that he didn't need to escape from The City. Manhattan demanded escape. Cleveland compelled escape. Los Angeles gave him no other option. But The City? Maybe this would be different. His surroundings certainly didn't feel as constricting. When could a man in America freely sit on a bench in the late evening hours without being accosted by the police for breaking curfew?
Snake had to entertain the idea, even if so briefly, that The City might not have been as bad as he thought. (Or as bad as he was imagining -- what with his past history.) Maybe this was the place he was trying to escape to.