I never fail to be amazed by the things people choose to talk about on Tube trains, and a recent conversation during the morning commute last week was the highlight of the year so far.

Two college girls were chatting to each other about all things related to their education, and as it was clearly vital that everyone else heard it too, they decided to conduct their dis-course at top volume.

One was explaining to the other how hard she had found her recent exams and that she was convinced her problems with mathematics stemmed from the belief she suffered from 'maths dyslexia.'

Apparently one of her friends had just been diagnosed with this convenient condition, which means she no longer has to take any maths-related tests and is even exempt from some classes.

If that wasn't reward enough, sufferers at the college in question (its name was never revealed) are entitled to a free laptop, although how this is meant to help cure them was not made clear.

No matter, it was enticing enough for our heroine who announced once more her belief she had this condition and was going to ask for a test to confirm her affliction.

Her reasoning was she couldn't do any of what she was being taught and didn't see the point of it all anyway.

When she declared her condition for a third time, her friend informed her she was repeating herself, at which point I felt like turning to them and saying: 'Yes and if you project from the diaphragm more you can probably make sure the driver knows it too.'

Judging by the looks on the other passengers' faces, I think more than a couple of people were thinking the exact same thing.

To save this girl in question the bother of enduring a 'maths dyslexia' test, I can tell you for 100 per cent certain you haven't got a learning disability - you're just lazy.

Maths dyslexia - or to give it the proper name Dyscalculia - means sufferers cannot recognise numbers and confuse different mathematical symbols such as '+' and '-'.

They even struggle to tell time correctly. Something tells me none of these symptoms apply in your case.

Instead I think you will discover that, like many of us, you find maths hard because it is hard.

The answer is to persevere, not try to worm out of it by inventing conditions you only heard of yesterday.

I'm fed up of people taking the easy way out all the time when there are those of us who just have to get on with things.

Not only is it lazy but it takes time and money away from people who genuinely suffer from such conditions and would love to be privy to the life others take for granted.

I don't expect for one minute the girl in question will see this letter or that even if she did she'd be inspired to change her attitude.

At the very least though she might think to keep her voice down in future!

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED