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What happens here is that KIP proffers a similar but more acceptable
version of LP's. The bike stolen by KIP and friend in the first instance
belonged to a friend. Second, was only taken as a joke - it was not serious
theft but rather fabricated theft (Cf. Goffman 1974). What this and the
preceding uniqueness claims are based on is petty theft (dust caps rather
than the whole vehicle) or pseudo theft ('temporarily' stealing Jim's bike only
to return it later that night without him being any the wiser). This in effect
accommodates the stealing of motorbikes as an acceptable activity within
the boundaries of positive social values; i. e. it keys the action of stealing
motorbikes from theft (potentially non-equilibric) to one of 'childhood
naughtiness' (already established grounds for solidarity). This remedial
works by KID and RP (who ratifies the claim by audientially aligning - see
Chapter 7) works to restore a momentarily threatened sociable equilibrium.
As German conversational ists display a preference for the use of
objective discussion or agonism for the claiming of uniqueness (see 3.2), it is
here that positive threshold breaches tend to occur, largely as a result of
incommensurably uniqueness. This manifests itself in agonism becoming 'too
heated', talk where participants have irresolvably 'locked horns', or one
participant being conversationally 'beaten into the ground', to the point where he
/ she can no longer defend him I herself and the talk grinds to a halt. For
example, in the following German example, HB and KH have been talking
extensively about cars over several minutes preceding the point at which we
enter. The talk has become progressively schismed as each participants
strengthens his own standpoint and seeks to weaken the others. Talk has in
effect been drifting away from a sociable argument to a 'real' one (Cf Schiffrin
1984).
Excerpt 6.15 Wo ist denn Peter? '
KH and 1-113 have been talking for several minutes on the topic of taking cars abroad.
The talk has become increasingly schismed, as both KH and HB draw on largely factual
evidence go support their propositions. Alongside this, the volume and pace of the talk
has been increasing
KH: Es ist schon vorgekommen daß (0.5) einige Ausländer
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