Long story short: I've been invited to guest DM next week's session of D&D Encounters even though I'm relatively new to the group.
I find some players' table talk distracting from the game and inappropriate (including frequent profanity, as well as sexist, racist, and anti-Semitic slurs, etc.) [Some of this is friendly ribbing between female, African American, and Jewish gamers at the table - but it's still distracting and looks bad to onlookers.)
I'm not a prude at all. However, I think that this reflects poorly on the newly established FLGS, which is trying to court new customers, as well as on the RPG community as a whole. I am not a prude, but I think that when there are families with 8 to 10 year old kids dropping by to look at comic books, toys, etc., that gamers should behave a little better.
Or if nothing else, we should focus on the game so we don't spend 2 hours for a session of encounters.
Show of hands: Would I be within my right as guest DM to ask players to stay focused and to not engage in perpetual bad language? I know that several players at least have complained that the regular DM doesn't put his foot down hard enough.
Retreater