Another one is In Blueprint for Murder when Columbo goes to the city offices to find out about digging up the pyle. He walks into office after office only to find a mile long line and at the end of it gets told, "Lunch hour. Come back. 1:00." While I do find this scene funny, it's unnecessary to the plot and could be cut down to end after the first guy tells him what he needs to do.

I think the Ken Archer scenes in "Death Lends A Hand" are different. That shows the early Columbo not weighed down by "gimmicks" who is doing some genuine investigating. He might know that Archer didn't do it because of the ring issue but he also from an investigating standpoint needs the full information on Archer's relationship with Mrs. Kennicutt. He has to make him sweat just a little bit to get that information and *then* he can tell him he's in the clear.