Thinking in terms of straight or zig zag or to quote a famous line from the movie, In-Laws, "Serpentine, Serpentine, Serpentine," is to think in terms of an open space.

In an urban environment, on the street or inside buildings like a mall, think in terms of Distance and Angle. Don't think of running away as doing a 1/4 mile drag race, think of it as making someone have to chase you (see you) in a maze and each turn represents less the shooter can see you and hit you as bullets can't turn corners.