It would seem you have a different parenting style from others on this thread. Some parents believe children learn by example, i.e they learn to behave in public with guidance. There is nothing wrong with that.
Some parents think it is ok to let children run wild with no supervision. And wait for them to "screw up". Different styles.
Are you assuming that I let my children run wild? Because that is far from the reality. I believe in teaching my children to behave in public, with guidance, but I also believe they need to do it eventually on their own, before adulthood. My children do not use foul language, are straight A students, are involved in many extracurricular activities, and have rules to follow. However, I don't remember my mom being a helicopter, as I see many moms today.
These are the parents who pick their children's college courses, who call their professors, who make their 18 year old's doctors appointments. Regarding another thread on these boards, these are the moms who find aparments for their 23 year old children. Where does it end?
I am not going to micro-manage my kids. I'm going to give them the confidence and strength they need to be independent adults, gradually, but progressively. My dd12 is allowed to go to the movies with friends, during the day. Maybe next year I'll drop her off at a store for an hour with a friend. By the time she is 15, I'm guessing I will drop her off (to shop, not hang) at the mall with friends (we do this here). I hope she'll still like to shop with me - she can do both.
You can't protect your kids forever - you need to enable them to believe that they can come across different situations, without an adult present, and handle it, especially before going away to college.