ESP8266 doesn't see any APs

if I enable the debug output I get:

turning on debugging
["AT+GMR\r\n"
] "0" <--- "0"
] "00" <--- "0"
] "0018" <--- "18"
] "001800" <--- "00"
] "00180009" <--- "09"
] "0018000902" <--- "02"
] "0018000902-A" <--- "-A"
] "0018000902-AI0" <--- "I0"
] "0018000902-AI03\r" <--- "3\r"
version = 0018000902-AI03, resetting wifi
["\r\nAT+RST\r\n"
] "\n\r\nOK\r" <--- "\n\r\nOK\r"
] "\n\r\nwro" <--- "\n\r\nwro"
] "wrong " <--- "ng "
] "wrong sy" <--- "sy"
] "wrong synt" <--- "nt"
] "wrong syntax" <--- "ax"
] "wrong syntax\r\n" <--- "\r\n"
] "\r\nER" <--- "\r\nER"
] "ERROR" <--- "ROR"
] "ERROR\r" <--- "\r"
] "\n\r\nO" <--- "\n\r\nO"
] "OK\r\n" <--- "K\r\n"
] "D" <--- "D"
] "Da" <--- "a"
] "Da!\x1B" <--- "!\x1B"
] "Da!\x1B©" <--- "©"
] "Da!\x1B©H" <--- "H"
] "Da!\x1B©H" <--- ""
] "Da!\x1B©Hò" <--- "ò"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)" <--- ")"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£" <--- "\x02£"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12" <--- "\x12"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9" <--- "#9"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00" <--- "e\x00"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00ì" <--- "ì"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00ìø" <--- "ø"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00ìø1Ê" <--- "1Ê"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00ìø1Êë" <--- "ë"
] "Da!\x1B©Hò)\x02£\x12#9e\x00ìø1Êë\r" <--- "\r"
] "\n[Ve" <--- "\n[Ve"
] "[Vend" <--- "nd"
] "[Vendor" <--- "or"
] "[Vendor:w" <--- ":w"
] "[Vendor:ww" <--- "w"
] "[Vendor:http://www." <--- "w."
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai" <--- "ai"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-t" <--- "-t"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thi" <--- "hi"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-think" <--- "nk"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker" <--- "er"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.c" <--- ".c"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com " <--- "om "
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Ve" <--- "Ve"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Vers" <--- "rs"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Versio" <--- "io"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Version:" <--- "n:"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Version:0." <--- "0."
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Version:0.9.2" <--- "9.2"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Version:0.9.2.4" <--- ".4"
] "[Vendor:http://www.ai-thinker.com Version:0.9.2.4]\r\n" <--- "]\r\n"
] "\r\nre" <--- "\r\nre"
] "ready" <--- "ady"
] "ready\r\n" <--- "\r\n"
["ATE0\r\n"
] "AT" <--- "AT"
] "ATE" <--- "E"
] "ATE0\r" <--- "0\r"
] "\r\n\r\n" <--- "\r\n\r\n"
] "OK\r\n" <--- "OK\r\n"
["AT+CIPMUX=1\r\n"
] "\r" <--- "\r"
] "\nO" <--- "\nO"
] "OK\r" <--- "K\r"
["AT+CWLAP\r\n"
] "\n" <--- "\n"
] "\r" <--- "\r"
] "\nE" <--- "\nE"
] "ERR" <--- "RR"
] "ERROR" <--- "OR"
] "ERROR\r\n" <--- "\r\n"
APs: []

so I'm seeing both a wrong syntax error at the top (right after printing the version) which looks like it is in response to AT+RST (though there is also an OK so I'm not sure of that) and an ERROR in response to AT+CWLAP