Just When?

Did street post boxes become so useless as a way to send a timely piece of post? Since the last time I used this box, which surely can only be a matter of weeks ago, the latest collection time has gone from a useful-and-later-than-the-nearest-post-office 6pm to a so-early-it-might-as-well-be-yesterday 9am. Clearly the Post Office view on-street collections as a novelty, to be used for things that don't matter. So people will use them less and less (as they presumably already are) and the decision will be made to close the boxes for good. All part of the privatisation dividend as the family silver is sold off (and then sold back to the family at exorbitant prices when we realise we need it after all).