I have a 3 month old, that likes to go for drives in the middle of the night.....I tend to get bored just driving around, these so called "lame" caches are handy sometimes for me. So to each his/her own that's why there is a ignore functon on Gc.com, you don't have to do the caches.
I have been caching since 2002 and in my area we have gone though the same thing you talk about in your area, but I believe the caches in Nova Scotia are back on the up swing.....Hide some yourself if you feel really strongly about it